'On the Frontlines' - Volume 51, Issue 15

STUDENT MEDIA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

TUESDAY, December 10, 2019 · VOL 51 Issue 15 · BADGERHERALD.COM

On the Frontlines As threats of gun violence rise rapidly, imminently impacting communities, youth take matters into their own hands and put their bodies on the line. pg. 12 Design by Channing Smith

Find us online at

152 W. Johnson Suite 202 Madison WI, 53703

http://badgerherald.com

Follow us on Twitter

Telephone 608.257.4712 Fax 608.257.6899

@badgerherald

Follow us on Instagram @badgerherald

6,000 copies Published since Sept. 10, 1969

Like us on Facebook

http://facebook.com/badgerherald

THE SEMESTER THAT WAS Herald Business

Herald Editorial Editor-in-Chief Managing Editors

Print News Editor Digital News Editors

Print Features Editor Digital Features Editor Campus Editors City Editors

State Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editors

Sports Associates ArtsEtc. Editors Copy Chiefs Copy Associates Photo Editor Design Directors Video Directors

4

14

Abby Doeden Emilie Cochran Molly Liebergall Nuha Dolby Molly DeVore Mary Magnuson Gretchen Gerlach Anna Walters Caroline Li Courtney Erdman Jackie Miller Lauren Henning Cait Gibbons Harrison Freuck John Spengler Jake Gross Ben Kenney Zach Lutz Shayde Erbrecht Philomena Lindquist Emily Gaare Max Mindorff Ahmad Hamid Caitlin Geurts Lily Oberstein Tao Zhou

Publisher

11

Meet Pittsburgh rapper Benji., an up-andcoming artist who shares his journey thus far.

Herald Public Relations Public Relations Director Marketing Director Social Media Coordinator

Angela Peterson Jill Kazlow Tony Spence

Herald Advertising Advertising Director

Patrick Williams

Board of Directors Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Members

Peyton David Abby Doeden Patrick Williams Angela Peterson Molly Liebergall Emilie Cochran Mary Magnuson Nuha Dolby Abby Steinberg Cait Gibbons Gretchen Gerlach Lucas Johnson Matt O’Connor Tony Spence

10

ARTSETC

12

FEATURE

OPINION

18

SPORTS

22

SUPERLATIVES

2 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

Looking back at the biggest UW, Madison and Wisconsin news stories from the past few months.

ON THE RISE TO FAME

Shayde Erbrecht

NEWS

23

6

SHOUTOUTS

FALL HEADLINERS

14

From youth activism to local government elections and everything in between, read up on this semester’s biggest headlines, handpicked by our Editorial Board.

UW ATHLETICS: A LOOK AT A SUCCESSFUL FALL SEMESTER WIth conference champions in multiple sports, UW had one of most impressive semesters in school history

18

PHOTO

facebook.com/badgerherald

SEMESTER IN REVIEW photo by: Durrani Hisham

UW HOMECOMING 2019 photo by: Ahmad Hamid

photo by: Maggie Hendon

THE CHAINSMOKERS ROCK THE ALLIANT photo by: Ahmad Hamid

HERALD 50TH photo by: Ahmad Hamid

UW FOOTBALL

CLIMATE STRIKE December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 3

NEWS

@badgerherald

UW alumni co-found FoodChain, look to help local farmers

FoodChain offerings include online marketplace for local farmers to advertise product, local delivery for producers, digital payments

by Caroline Li Campus News Editor

May 2019 University of Wisconsin School of Business graduates alumni Ben Winters and Jake Levitt started off FoodChain to better connect local farmers with potential buyers.

According to a UW press release, FoodChain provides three “core services.” The first is to foster better connections between producers and buyers through an online marketplace, where farmers can put up information about and market their produce, and potential buyers can easily access these local food options.

The second service provided is through the creation of a digital system, where payments can be made more easily and efficiently. The digital system also helps reduce miscommunication among parties and bring down bookkeeping costs incurred from tracking money transactions, according to the press release.

FoodChain also offers local delivery for producers as its third core service. Winters said FoodChain will create a central drop point for farmers to send their produce, and the organization will take over deliveries from

there.

According to the FoodChain website, deliveries are made twice a week and buyers can choose where and when to receive their products.

“We realize that connecting [small farmers] with these self-purchasers and other businesses that might seek to buy local food would be the best way to do it, and from there we start running with it,” Winters said.

According to the FoodChain website, the traditional food distribution system caters mainly to the interest of larger corporations and oftentimes marginalizes needs and preferences of local producers and buyers.

There is also a rising demand for local produce, as consumers become more conscious of food safety and environmental sustainability, according to the website.

Among all the challenges they have encountered during the process, Winters said distribution of food items has always been a major one.

Winters compared the food market with that of clothing, and said dealing with food could be more complex and challenging.

“If you have a clothing marketplace, you

have a list of products and can store [them] in USPS,” Winters said. “They get delivered to the purchaser. But obviously with food, pricing comes down to weight, and then you can’t throw [them] in the mail most of the time, that will jeopardize half of the food. So you take precautionary steps in terms of distribution.”

Currently, Madison entrepreneurial hub StartingBlock hosts FoodChain’s offices, and its distribution center is located in the Food Enterprise and Economic Development Kitchens in Madison, according to the press release.

While FoodChain provides services in Madison, the press release stated that it plans to reach Milwaukee and Chicago in 2020.

Winters said Milwaukee and Chicago were selected as hopeful future markets due to their close proximity to Madison and their relatively large market sizes.

Winters said Madison’s geographical location makes it the perfect distribution point to bigger cities like Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis.

The company is currently building up the supply of producers in Wisconsin and trying to expand the catalog of products provided as much as possible, Winters said.

Future plans include the creation of a warehouse in Madison to

Photo - According to the FoodChain website, deliveries are made twice a week and buyers can choose where and when to receive their products.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

4 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

better facilitate distribution to other cities.

“We are going to make Madison our hub of all the products,” Winters said. “I think we can use Wisconsin products and Wisconsin farms to supply all these neighboring cities around us, while only using Wisconsin farmers.”

UW sophomore Curtis Feldner said he supports farmers, and companies bolstering their business is important.

“I think if we are able to put more power in farmers’ hands, I would definitely feel better about [these companies] … I like to support farmers [because] I think they do very important work,” Feldner said.

Despite all the benefits the new system could bring, Feldner said he worried the resulting rise in demand for local produce may lead to farmers being over-competitive with each other in price in order to attract more customers.

Feldner said he was especially concerned about the competition driving farming away from profitability.

“I worry about farmers being pushed to this really intense thing ... I’m worried about them having to cut their prices in order to stay competitive,” Feldner said.

In response to those concerns, Winters said having everyone’s products in the market allows farmers to market their prices themselves, which will help the market to arrive at the true price for each product and improve on efficiency.

FoodChain is expected to start operating in about two weeks, Winters said.

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald

City Council to launch UWPD off-campus citations pilot program

Pilot program will process some citations in municipal court instead of county court, reducing ticket cost to students

by Courtney Erdman City News Editor

The University of Wisconsin Police Department is entering a pilot program that will reduce ticket costs for students who are cited off-campus for underage drinking, possession of false identification and disorderly conduct.

UWPD and the Madison Common Council approved an agreement Nov. 5 to enter a pilot program that will transfer offcampus citations from the Dane County Circuit Court to the Madison Municipal Court, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The pilot will launch either December or January and will run until Nov. 1, 2020.

UWPD-issued citations that occur on campus will still be processed in statelevel court because the university is state property, municipal court Judge Dan Koval said.

Koval worked with UWPD, the mayor, city council members, the Office of the City Attorney and the Madison Police Department to gain support and form this pilot program, Alder Michael Verveer said.

The city council passed a resolution for the program by a unanimous vote, Verveer said.

Verveer said the pilot program would benefit students because tickets will be cheaper and could help their future employment chances. Citations filed in a circuit court can easily be found online by potential employers, while citations filed in Madison’s Municipal Court can’t be accessed online, Verveer said.

“You literally have to go to the Madison Municipal Court office and ask the clerk if there are any records for the person,” Verveer said.

UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said this pilot will create an “even playing field” because UPWD officers can write citations like MPD officers.

Currently, UWPD officers can only write state citations and administrative code citations. MPD officers technically are not allowed by state statutes to write citations on-campus, Lovicott said.

Koval said the tickets are more expensive in circuit court because the process includes mandatory fees that the municipal court does not have, due to a different process.

Underage alcohol consumption tickets for those between the ages of 17-20 cost $187

in municipal court and $263.50 in circuit court. Fake identification tickets cost $439 in municipal court and $515.50 in circuit court, Koval said.

The majority of UWPD’s citations are issued for underage drinking, possession of false identification and disorderly conduct, Lovicott said.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, in 2018, UWPD issued 549 underage drinking citations, 397 on campus and 152 off campus. 27 citations were issued on campus for false identification, with seven off campus. 32 citations were issued for disorderly conduct on campus, and six were issued off campus.

The purpose of the program is to provide consistency in the court system, Koval said.

“It’s good in the matter of consistency to have these cases heard in the same court system instead of having them spread out,” Koval said. “The goal is to ... have them

heard in one court.”

Municipal court has access to a lot of resources to help students who have issues with alcohol, Koval said. It’s usually easier to get these resources and community service options in municipal court rather than circuit court, he said.

The pilot program requires a modification to the court software that will cost $10,069.

A $2,000 fee has to be paid every year the program is extended, municipal court Clerk Christie Zamber said in an email to The Badger Herald.

It is expected the city will see between 150 and 200 additional citations per year, resulting in a $4,950 to $6,600 yearly increase in court costs, which are retained by the municipal court, according to the resolution.

There will not be a significant cost to the municipal court to take on the cases, Koval said.

“There were approximately 165 citations issued in 2018,” Zamber wrote. “If you assume an average forfeiture base amount of $100 per citation and $33 court costs, we could potentially receive $16,500 in general revenue and $5,445 in municipal court costs respectively.”

The municipal court will not take on new staff, but will add the citations to their regular case load, Koval said.

The pilot will be evaluated next year and may be renewed if it’s deemed successful, Koval said. The program may be expanded to include other off-campus citations issued

by UWPD. Koval said the program will be evaluated to see if there are disproportionate impacts. This includes looking at the demographic receiving citations and if there is a demographic that is receiving more citations.

Photo - According to the Wisconsin State Journal, in 2018, UWPD issued 549 underage drinking citations.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 5

NEWS

@badgerherald

THE SEMESTER THAT WAS

From the campus level to the city to the state, here are the biggest headlines from Fall 2019.

UW homecoming committee removes promotional video after student backlash citing lack of diversity.

On Sept. 30, The University of Wisconsin Homecoming Committee posted a video promoting homecoming festivities.

Students, however, immediately backlashed. UW student and person of color Janiece Piolet discussed the racism she found perpetuated in the video. In a Facebook post, she discussed the lack of mention of the Ho-Chunk nation, upon whose land the university is built upon, and the featuring of white hip-hop dancers, when the origin of hip hop is African-American.

She also noted the simple lack of diversity at UW and in the video specifically.”I can count the number of students of color in this video on my hands,” Piolet said.

“I can count the perceived number of students of color on the Homecoming Committee on one hand. As opposed, it would take quite some time to count the number of white identified individuals in this video.

These are the faces you chose to show. I, a Black woman, am not represented once in this entire video, along with numerous intersectional identities across race, physical ability, color, religion, nationality, and other social identities.”

Payton Wade, another UW student and person of color, noted on Twitter that groups who were requested by the committee to film clips for the video had their work cut. Her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, filmed a clip that was cut. The sorority is also primarily students of color and historically black.

She also noted the the lack of black faces, but presence of things she considered more menial (“people’s butts as they jumped into the lake”).

The committee removed the video from their social media accounts, and posted an apology on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

UW later released a new homecoming video, produced in partnership with the Student Inclusion Coalition. It acknowledged the error the homecoming committee made, and then showed several students of color sharing what their aspirations are and what they are passionate about.

6 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

On Oct. 23, The Wisconsin Union Directorate Society and Politics Committee and students also further discussed controversies revolving around the video.

At the meeting, students expressed their concern and said this exclusion of marginalized groups in the video is a product of lack of exposure and education of both the students and faculty.

UW professor Akbar Sayeed to return to campus after UW graduate student suicide.

On Nov. 13, UW College of Engineering Dean Ian Robertson announced the return of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Akbar Sayeed this spring in an email to students.

Sayeed was suspended in 2016 after John Brady, an electrical engineering graduate student in Sayeed’s lab, died by suicide. The Wisconsin State Journal released reports of Sayeed’s “toxic” lab culture including aggression and overworking lab members.

Brady’s father claimed these factors led Brady to take his own life.

UW authorized Sayeed’s return to campus to take place spring 2020, after a two year disciplinary suspension. Sayeed will be placed on administrative duties in the College of Engineering and will not be allowed to teach or interact with visitors, Robertson said in a statement.

On Nov. 5, about a week prior to Robertson’s email, the Graduate Student Association of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department had released a statement via Reddit. The letter outlined several systemic changes the organization believes need to take place for improved work environments. They also requested “faculty support” as they work to block Sayeed’s return to campus.

On Dec. 4, the Associate Students of Madison invited Robertson to its meeting to address the issue. Robertson said the college commissioned the Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute to help develop special bias and hostile behavior training for faculty. At the time, he said 86% of the engineering faculty hadO taken the training, and those who did not complete the training were not eligible for any awards or recognitions from COE. On Dec. 5, students gathered on Engineering Mall to protest the decision to allow Sayeed to return to campus, and issue a resolution to the provost.

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association released a list of demands they hoped UW would implement.

The resolution contains a “plan of action” the ECEGSA wants the university to take, electrical engineering graduate student and ECEGSA member Kyle Daruwalla told The Badger Herald, noting the resolution including firing Sayeed.

As students voice concerns over MPD cutting Langdon Street officer, UWPD works to cover area.

University of Wisconsin Greek Life has voiced safety concerns after the elimination of the Madison Police Department’s Langdon Neighborhood Officer.

The position, held by Damion Figueroa, was scheduled to be eliminated in January due to staffing shortages, according to 27 News. Citing to frustration with the budget, Figueroa resigned from the MPD in November.

Figueroa told 27 News the lack of support to MPD from the city, along with funding issues, lead him to make this decision.

According to The Badger Herald, the new liaison officer will cover territory in the Langdon Street, lower State Street, and 600 University Ave. corridor. While MPD will still have primary jurisdiction and call-andservice response to the off campus territory, the UWPD officer will be focused in the area to make relationships with students and serve as an additional access point for the off-campus community.

According to the external review conducted on University of Wisconsin fraternity and sorority life, released in September, Figueroa was directly cited in the review as an officer students mentioned having a positive relationship with.

The report added that the University of Wisconsin Police Department has a “poor, almost non-existent relationship with housed IFC/PHA chapters.”

UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott said to The Badger Herald that Langdon Street is not within UWPD’s jurisdiction, so MPD’s strong relationship with the area could stem from that. Lovicott added that UWPD “has a great relationship with MPD” and UWPD is out on Langdon Street frequently regardless.

JH Verhoff, chair of philanthropy for the UW chapter of Psi Upsilon, told The Badger Herald he was concerned about how the dynamic will shift with UWPD involved.

Within Psi Upsilon, Verhoff said many members mirror his concerns of the uncer-

tainty with the change to UWPD patrolling the area, given the nature of UW’s attitude toward Greek life.

But according to a statement by UWPD chief Kristen Roman, the new position will focus on building relationships so that it can serve as an effective resource for the offcampus community.

Youth activists fight for environmental justice, work with legal system to have fines waived.

On Sept. 20, Max Prestigiacomo, a freshman at UW, led his second Madison-based climate change strike. He is an example of the many UW students who attended the march, as mobilization to raise climate change awareness swept the campus.

“By characterizing the climate crisis as something that we still have time to solve, we provide a false sense of optimism,” Prestigiacomo said to the crowd. “This fatal lapse in reality will continue to perpetuate our sleepwalk into mass extinction. Unless we act.”

UW student group ReThink also works towards goals regarding climate change. It directs several different projects from reducing restaurant waste to educating others about compost, according to The Badger Herald.

But according to The Isthmus, youth activists and community members who organized the September protest received a bill from MPD totaling $4,631.66.

The Youth Climate Action Team of Wisconsin organized the march and received the bill on Nov. 8. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway waived the bill, Prestigiacomo told The Badger Herald.

The bill included charges for the police officers present at the site where the permit granted the activists to protest. According to The Badger Herald, Rhodes-Conway advised the MPD costs for the march be waived completely, and MPD worked with City Finance to rescind the bill.

It was also revealed in October that UW was ranked last out of all Big Ten schools in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.

The report included 13 of the 14 official Big Ten schools, excluding Rutgers University.

UW is one of the nine universities that has not signed the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

The ACUPCC is a commitment that presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities can sign, ensuring their schools take steps toward becoming more sustainable.

NEWS

facebook.com/badgerherald ational marijuana faces an uphill fight,” Taylor said.

Marijuana debate continues in Wisconsin legislature as states across the country move toward legalization.

In March 2019, Gov. Tony Evers announced his state budget would include plans to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and legalize it for medical use.

The proposal allowed individuals to carry up to 25 grams of marijuana. It would also allow manufacturing and distribution of up to 25 grams, according to Evers’ official press release.

The proposal also called for expunging the records of those previously convicted with possession of small amounts of marijuana and have already completed their sentences or are on probation.

A bipartisan medical cannabis bill was introduced to the Wisconsin legislature Sept. 20 by State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, State Rep. Chris Taylor, DMadison, and State Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point.

Testin told The Badger Herald the bill would introduce a regulated process on both the patients’ end and production end. The bill requires a recommendation from the doctor as well as a registry system for said patients. On the production end, a licensing system would be put into place for growers, producers and sellers.

Testin said for him, the bill boils down to patient choice. Testin feels that patients should have access to options besides opioids, which are associated with many horror stories amid an opioid crisis.

Testin added that something he deemed a major challenge to getting the bill passed was uncertainties within the Republican party. Testin said he found some of his Republican colleagues, while not opposed to the idea of medical cannabis, were wary of putting a robust framework in place to support it.

The Madison Police Department former chief of police has gone on record that he supports the legalization of medical marijuana, MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain said.

DeSpain also told The Badger Herald that Madison police are already unlikely to arrest individuals for small possessions of the drug.

Wisconsin Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, told The Badger Herald the recreational use of marijuana is not likely to pass in the Republican majority legislature.

“Until there is a shift in the number of Democrats in the legislature, recre-

Vaping in Wisconsin a concern to professionals as youth wind up in hospitals.

In early August, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported 11 cases of serious lung impairments among teenagers and young adults who vaped recently, according to the City of Madison website.

University Health Services Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Jenny Damask said nicotine found in electronic cigarettes is highly addictive, increases heart rate and blood pressure and could impact brain development.

UW Chief Medical Officer and Director of Medical Services Dr. Bill Kinsey said the vapor emitted by electronic cigarettes often contains toxic chemicals which pose risks to human health.

Based on statistics Damask accessed from AlcoholEDU, a compulsory online course for all incoming students at UW, 20.9% of incoming students this year reported past usage of electronic cigarettes, compared to 6.2% three years ago.

According to a statement to The Badger Herald from Marlena Holden, Director of Marketing & Health Communications at University Health Services, the use of e-cigarettes has quadrupled among incoming UW students since 2016.

Doug Jorenby, Director of Clinical Services for UW Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention and a professor of medicine, noted to The Badger Herald that vaping has been seen to potentially be a gateway to cigarettes.

“Something we’ve known for a couple of years now is that among adolescents — people younger than typical undergrad — who had never tried tobacco but started vaping, were between three to four times more likely to go on and start smoking,” Jorenby said. “There’s a really strong signal that if you pick up e-cigarettes because they’re not tobacco or not combustible, you still have greater risk later on to switching over to cigarettes.”

UW updated its campus smoke-free policy in 2016 to include e-cigarettes, Holden said.

The policy states that smoking is prohibited in all buildings, facilities and vehicles owned, operated or leased by UW. The policy specifies that “smoking” not only includes the burning of any type of lit device, but also “any other smoking equipment or the use of electronic smoking device including, but not limited to, an electronic cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, or pipe.”

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 7

NEWS

@badgerherald

UW System President selection committee includes no academic staff Committee has one student, zero academic staff on board, raised criticism from UW-Madison academic staff assembly chair

by Savannah Kind Reporter

University of Wisconsin Board of Regents President Andrew Petersen broke past precedent by including one student and no academic staff when he appointed the committee to identify the next UW System President.

Petersen appointed the committee following current UW System President Ray Cross’ retirement announcement. The committee, which will convene for the first time in December, is composed of four regents, a former regent, a student regent, two chancellors and a provost.

UW-Madison Academic Staff Assembly Chair Jenny Dahlberg discussed her disagreement with the choice to not include staff. Past committees tasked with selecting the next UW System President have all included students, faculty and academic staff members, Dahlberg said. “[Academic staff] represent 10,000 people on this campus, that’s a lot of bodies and voices that really deserve the chance to be heard about what we need from leadership,” Dahlberg said.

In an email to The Badger Herald, Petersen said throughout the screening process there will be multiple opportunities for shared governance stakeholders like the ASA to give their input. Petersen also wrote that the persons chosen for the committee will keep the interests of students and staff in mind during the selection process.

One reason the committee is comprised of a smaller number of people is to make the search process more efficient, Petersen said.

“In a competitive environment where multiple state systems are actively searching for new presidential leadership, we need a small, nimble and dedicated committee comprised of board and academic leadership that represents diverse interests,” Petersen said.

Dahlberg said she believes that adding staff to the committee will not decrease efficiency or extend the timeline but will help the committee gain a better perspective of what the employees on campus need.

Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point, wrote a letter to the committee and spoke in an interview voicing concerns about the makeup of the committee.

“The very people who would benefit most from having a voice at the table — faculty, staff and students — are the ones deliberately being excluded,” Shankland said. “Sitting in a closed-door room as part 8 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

of the search and screen committee going through resumes, going through interviews, is very different than a listening session where everyone gets to say a few words.”

Shankland said other state legislators have echoed her call to expand the committee and hopes that the committee will choose to add more members, which it can do at any time.

According to the University of Wisconsin System website, the UW System includes two doctoral universities, 11 four-year universities, 13 additional universities and the UW-Extension program. Petersen said all the members of the committee are highly accredited and serve with the interests of the entire UW System in mind.

“One of the most important responsibilities as regents is to set the

direction for the UW System, including hiring leadership,” Petersen said.

In her letter to the committee, Shankland wrote that it is counterintuitive for a president to lead the UW System into a new era while excluding important voices from the conversation.

Dahlberg said the president regularly meets with shared governance committees to hear the issues staff and faculty are facing and that the president chosen may not know how to best help academic staff and faculty.

“No leader of our university system should want to start their new role with concerns from stakeholders because of the process by which they were selected and by which some stakeholders were excluded,” Shankland wrote.

The committee is also primarily made

up of white people. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Edmund Manydeeds III appears to be the only person of color on the committee. Manydeeds is a regent and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Dahlberg said many of the academic staff feel that their voices will go unheard in the process.

“I think it’s rather short-sighted of them to exclude the voices of the people who make the university run,” Dahlberg said.

“At least in Madison’s case, the academic staff are the largest number. They are everything from advisors to researchers to administrators to teachers. It’s really unfortunate because they’re the ones who are going to be in tune with the issues that students are facing.”

Photo - Petersen appointed the committee following current UW System President Ray Cross’ retirement announcement.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

facebook.com/badgerherald

NEWS

UW botany lab pioneers new approach to studying origin of life Professor David Baum’s research looks to demonstrate one possible approach to study the emergence of self-propagating chemical reactions

by Azul Kothari Reporter

Sitting on a laboratory shelf on the third floor of the state-of-the-art Wisconsin Institute of Discovery building are a collection of small vials, each containing a primordial chemical soup. They are all a part of University of Wisconsin botany professor David Baum’s experiment that may change the way scientists study the origin of life.

Though scientists have made considerable inroads in our understanding of molecular biology and genetics, almost no progress has been made in understanding how primordial chemicals on an ancient earth could organize themselves into the genetic molecules DNA and RNA, Baum said.

The question that has baffled scientists thus far has to do with a phenomenon known as selfpropagation, the ability of an organized group of chemicals to reproduce itself. It is essential to life, and so far, no one really knows how such a thing could occur without genetic material, Baum said.

“I think the basic question in the origin of life that we haven’t figured out yet is how systems can become organized and start evolving before they have genetics,” Baum said.

The overarching goal of Baum’s research was not to discover the precursors to genetic material,

but to demonstrate one possible approach to study the emergence of self-propagating chemical reactions. Baum’s team began by assuming that self-propagating chemical systems might emerge far more easily than people think.

In addition to self-propagation, the researchers are also interested in the ability of basic entities to become more complex.

Third-year PhD student Lena Vincent assists in Baum’s lab. Vincent discussed the research framework.

“Our framework offers a potential bridge between the non-living world, where you don’t have [self-propagation], to a world in which entities capable of those two things emerge spontaneously in the absence of prior adaptive processes,” Vincent said.

The experimental protocol begins with a collection of vials, each filled with a chemical soup that mimics scientists’ knowledge of the conditions existing on an ancient earth, Baum said.

After the vials are sterilized, they sit around for a couple of days before 10% of the content of each vial is transferred to a new vial with a fresh batch of the chemicals.

The researchers then monitor changes in the composition of the vials. This is done over multiple iterations of the procedure, and is

compared to vials whose contents have only been diluted once.

“Everything should be the same except that this one has been transferred 12 times in its history, and the other just once in its history,” Baum said, referring to the experimental and control group, respectively. “If history matters, something should be different. If history doesn’t matter, everything should be the same.”

In the experimental group of vials, researchers observed a steady change across generations in certain measured characteristics, Baum said. The measurements mimicked a boom and bust cycle of resource consumption often seen in ecology.

One theory is the dilutions selected for selfpropagating chemical networks consumed increasing amounts of resources. Every so often, the population of chemical networks reached a ceiling, leading to a population crash: hence “boom and bust.”

The significance of Baum’s research comes from its methodology, which mimics the evolutionary process of natural selection. The experiment relies on the assumption that only the chemical networks able to propagate faster than they are diluted between generations would survive.

While using natural selection is a common practice in biology, Baum believes his is the first group to

Photo - The significance of Baum’s research comes from its methodology, which mimics the evolutionary process of natural selection.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

apply it to non-living or abiotic systems.

One constant theme throughout the experiment was the challenge presented by the lack of a preexisting framework for the researchers to follow. In developing experimental protocols, the researchers relied heavily on trial and error, UW undergraduate student on the research team Jacob Cosby said.

“We have no prior knowledge of whether anything’s going to work,” Vincent said. “It’s very much an open field. Which means that there’s a lot of room for creativity, a lot of room for different perspectives.”

Baum’s lab employs students from a wide variety of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, math and anthropology, Vincent said.

The researchers, who were funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, published their findings Oct. 23 in the journal Life.

“NASA has a pretty active exobiology and astrobiology program,” Baum said. “Obviously, if you’re going to go around to other planetary bodies, you want to know what you might encounter, and how might life look if you did run into it.”

Manipulating the experimental conditions and increasing the duration of the experiment are two further avenues the team hopes to pursue, Vincent said. Modifying experimental conditions may provide insight into what conditions are necessary for the formation of lifelike chemical reactions.

In fact, the conditions in Baum’s test tubes deviate from what would have existed in a primordial earth in one major way, he said; the addition of a chemical compound known as ATP. The compound, which plays an essential role in all biotic reactions, probably did not exist in an early earth.

“Physics will tell us that a system can only selforganize if it has energy,” Baum said. “We took something that we know has high energy that lifelike chemistry can use, but of course, probably wasn’t present on the early earth. If we confirm that we have this lifelike behavior using ATP, then it’s relatively easy to take the ATP out and see if we can get this behavior with more realistic compounds.”

Researchers expect to see an increase in the complexity of the lifelike chemical reactions as they increase the duration of the experiment, Vincent said.

The current experiment spanned the course of 40 generations of vials and was performed entirely by hand. Researchers are looking into automating some aspects of the experimental procedure in order to scale up, Vincent added.

“Our immediate goal is to demonstrate that these self-propagating systems we think we’ve found can evolve,” Vincent said. “But in order to do that, we have to observe them over a longer period of time.”

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 9

ARTSETC

@badgerherald

Three movies with best chance to win Best Picture at 2020 Oscars With Oscar nominations releasing January 13, familiar faces in ‘The Irishman,’ ‘Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood’ look to take home Oscar gold

by Zach Lutz ArtsEtc.Editor

With “Oscar Season,” typically September through December, wrapping up and with the Golden Globe nominations dropping December 9, critics and Oscar experts now have a tentatively finalized list of predictions.

While the Golden Globes and BAFTA awards will inevitably alter predictions over who wins what, it’s safe to predict the nominees at this point.

It has been a decade now since it was announced that the Academy Awards’ most distinguished and prestigious award, Best Picture, would expand from five nominations to ten. On behalf of everyone, I want to continue giving thanks for this decision, because in a year like 2019, there is a long list of movies worthy of a Best Picture nomination. However, we are here to narrow that list down to three movies that will have the most realistic chance at taking home the industry’s most coveted statue.

“The Irishman” — The legendary Martin Scorsese has directed 24 feature films prior to “The Irishman,” and while some of these features like “Taxi Driver,” “Goodfellas” and “The Departed” are considered some of the greatest movies ever made, “The Irishman” might just be Scorsese’s masterpiece.

When it’s all said and done, it may not go down as his most entertaining or even most memorable film, but at three hours and 30 minutes, Scorsese makes the most of every minute. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci are all miraculous in this telling of a mob hitman’s involvement with the life and death of Jimmy Hoffa.

It’s a gangster movie throughout and appears so on the surface, but its themes and purpose extend far beyond its display of riveting moments of surprising brutality and entertaining gangster talk. Scorsese uses this tale to deliver a statement about old age and decline, even if it only becomes apparent near the movie’s end.

This is a movie that could only be pulled off by Scorsese, and at this late point in his career. If it takes you a couple nights to watch this movie, so be it, but be sure to watch it soon because “and the Oscar goes to ...” will be preceding “The Irishman” a lot Feb. 9. You have no excuse. It is on Netflix, after all.

“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” — Another beast of a movie at two hours and 41 minutes, we should feel so fortunate to be graced with both an epic Scorsese and Tarantino movie in the same year. Like Scorsese, this is a movie Tarantino could have only made at this point in his career.

The film is, perhaps, his most mature and meticulously crafted to date. He takes his time getting things going, making sure his audience is completely immersed in a Hollywood of a bygone era with incredible set design. But when it gets going, it really 10 • badgerherald.com • December 10,, 2019

gets going, chock full of signature Tarantino moments in the back half.

It’s also Tarantino’s most unique film to date. For this reason, the general public did not love this movie as much as the critics, which is pretty different from all of his other films.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are an absolute blast in this movie, both delivering knockout performances as an aging movie star and his stunt double, respectively.

The movie will certainly be nominated for Best Picture and many other categories, likely to have a big night all around Feb. 9.

“Marriage Story” — Writer, director and producer Noah Baumbach made his directorial and writing debut in 1995 with his feature “Kicking and Screaming” to some small critical acclaim. He didn’t truly establish establish himself within Hollywood until the early 2000s, however, when he co-wrote screenplays with the esteemed Wes Anderson. Like Anderson, Baumbach has become a critical darling with unparalleled film style.

I haven’t seen a lot of Baumbach films, but his fans are saying “Marriage Story” is his best film to date. Critics and the general public seem to agree as the movie currently rocks an 8.5 on IMDb with an elite 94 metascore.

“Marriage Story” is essentially about two people going through a divorce, trying to figure out how to stay together as a family for their son.

Baumbach is pretty unflashy with the camera, but the movie is wildly ambitious in its execution and character choices.

Baumbach lets his quirks shine with his unconventional writing style, depicting life’s small, odd and awkward interactions, as he often does in “Marriage Story.” He also gives his actors room to breathe and dominate the screen.

What he gets from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in “Marriage Story” is truly remarkable. It doesn’t take long after the movie starts for you to recognize the two stars solely as their characters. The specificity of each character ’s personality become so real and authentic throughout the movie that the next time you see Driver or Johansson in another movie, you might expect them to act like these characters.

To viewers unfamiliar with Baumbach’s style, “Marriage Story” may come off as a little absurd. Some of the writing choices may feel odd, and the constant witty, comedic moments could feel like it’s getting in the way of building tension and drama.

If you come into the movie expecting a crushing relationship drama like “Blue Valentine,” you will get a movie that feels far different from your expectations.

Movies yet to be released to wide audiences like “Little Women” and “1917” have earned the praise of being other certain Best Picture locks with a great chance to win.

Photo Get to know the face of Noah Baumbach — he and his film ‘Marriage Story’ will be all over the Oscars this year.

Courtesy of Creative Commons user eugene The Badger Herald

ARTSETC.

facebook.com/badgerherald

A look at the motivations behind WOOF, UW’s student org for furries

After years of misunderstanding, misconceptions, an honest, clear look at furry fandom through WOOF, their members, artistic purpose at UW

by Paul Hermann Staff Writer

The Wisconsin Involvement Network lists over 900 registered student organizations at the University of Wisconsin. Students on campus have hundreds of options to join groups that share their interests, from volunteer work to cultural organizations to specific hobbies. A brand-new org on campus now provides a space for a unique community — mostly grown online — on campus: furries.

The Wisconsin Organization of Furries, or WOOF, began last year after a few students wanted to unite the furry community at UW. Furries, as described in WOOF’s bylaws, are “people with a passion for anthropomorphic animals or mythical creatures.” Furries express their interest in characters that mix human and animal qualities through discussion, art, costumes and other creative activities.

The furry fandom has expanded over the past couple decades from a niche group to a worldwide community. WOOF formally organized at the start of the Fall 2019 semester, allowing individuals who previously interacted with the furry community online the chance to

meet fellow members at UW. Max Harsch, an undergrad studying physics, is one of around 30 students who participated in the group this year. Before joining WOOF, Max found his way into the fandom through humorous curiosity.

“I was just browsing Reddit one day, and there was a link to a furry subreddit,” Harsch said.” I was like, ‘oh let’s go laugh at the furries.’”

Curiosity then led to appreciation.

“I spent 15 minutes and thought this was a neat community, there’s a lot of really good artists and talent,” Harsch said.

So far, WOOF has mostly been a casual way for UW furries to meet and greet. Members get together weekly for lunch, movie nights and video game tournaments. WOOF also has a Monday art night, where members are led by more talented artists in the group in a characterdrawing exercise.

Creating characters is an important part of being a furry for many in the fandom. Some furries use a custom character as their ‘fursona,’ which can represent themselves either online or at certain in-person events. Fursonas are brought to life through drawings, online accounts and fursuits — costumes that allow furries to take on

a character in an immersive way.

However, no furry creates their fursona the same way. Harsch created his fursona after discovering a fursuit online. Costing around $800 — a price relatively cheap in comparison to other fur suits — Harsch used the costume to create Velky, a blue-furred canine. Another WOOF member has a character named Mojito, a lion who exists only through drawings and descriptions.

Another important and iconic part of the furry fandom is conventions. Hundreds of furries will meet up with each other at hotel conferences organized by the community. WOOF members took part in AquatiFur in October, an annual convention at the Wisconsin Dells. AquatiFur and other furry conventions allow members to meet famous community members, join dance parties and more.

Harsch said he spent most of his time at the Dealer’s Den, the area where artists sell drawings and other self-made furry merchandise.

Furries can be reluctant to talk about their hobby because of negative depictions of the fandom that have circulated in popular media and the press. News articles from the 90s and 2000s in Wired, Vanity Fair, and more, frame

furries as social outsiders and claim the main purpose of the hobby is for sexual role play.

Episodes of Tosh.0 and CSI: Crime Scene Investigations ridicule furries as well and depict them mostly as sexual deviants.

“It is kind of weird,” an anonymous member of WOOF said. “The community is very interesting and eccentric. It’s understandable why people might misunderstand furries.”

WOOF is aware of these preconceptions of furries. On the Wisconsin Involvement Network, the group notes that many people are not comfortable telling others they are a furry. One goal of WOOF is to offer insight on this niche community and clear up any misconceptions.

The image of furries has been changing, and various internet personalities have helped normalize the furry fandom in online spaces.

Most recently, Forbes named Dominique “Sonicfox” McLean — an acclaimed fighting game pro player and avid community member who wears their fursuit to tournaments.

WOOF members hope the organization continues to be a means for furries to feel welcomed on campus and stay together.

“I hope it stays what it is now,” Harsch said.“It’s just a way for people to find other furries and hang out.”

Pittsburgh musician Benji. rises steadily from local rap scene

Following his first live show in Madison, last stop on EARTHGANG tour in 2019, Benji. shares his journey, from Pittsburgh to the big stage

by Tolu Igun Staff Writer

This year has been a dynamic year for Benji. as he continues his steady rise from the Pittsburgh rap scene.

From being named one of NPR’s Slingshot 20 Artists to Watch to signing a deal with Since the 80s, to joining EARTHGANG’s Welcome to Mirrorland college town tour, the self-taught musician has learned quite a bit from his varied experiences.

The multi-talented rapper, singer, songwriter and producer finds motivation and inspiration for his sound from an extensive pool of genres and generations of music. Growing up among a family of musicians, Benji.’s motivation to make music began early at home.

“It’s kind of competitive in nature just because it’s around you,” Benji. said. “So you want to elevate and contribute in the best way possible. But it’s also really cool to pool from each other because everyone has their own different approaches and styles.”

When presented the chance to join his first major tour with recent Grammy-nominated artists Duckwrth, Guapdad 4000 and

EARTHGANG, he asked himself one important question: “Why not?”

For Benji., ‘why not?’ is the overarching question propelling him forward along his journey.

“It’s a really cool opportunity to just be like right at the door looking at everything,” Benji. said. “We’ve been able to learn from everyone, every day for a month and a half.”

Ultimately, Benji. believes everything happens for a reason, as he’s learned to trust his gut and stick to his guns.

He’s learned a great deal from being around such talented artists, noting the main difference between the artists he performed with on tour and his own team comes down to years of experience and service in the industry.

His years of experience came to fruition while attending Duquesne University in his hometown. Before eventually dropping out to pursue a full-time career in music, he would sit in the school cafeteria between classes and track practice, learning as much as he could from YouTube about producing and making beats.

“I just kept plugging away and trying and trying, and going and going,” Benji. said.

“Then, snap, it’s like 3 o’clock and I got to go to practice.”

He would return to the cafeteria right after track — every day for four years to grow his musical skillset.

Benji. joked about his dedication to music over everything.

“Needless to say I failed class for sure,” Benji. said. “But I learned every valuable thing I need to learn on how to build a structure because I researched all the tools necessary to do it. So

“There’s a lot of time out there and there’s a whole big world to see.”

- Benji.

educating myself in that regard has helped me get here.”

Though Benji. has always been passionate about music, he does not think his career would have worked out the same way had he tried to pursue music directly out of high school.

Attending college provided him more time

to devise a well-calculated plan and think about his options more thoroughly.

“I feel like everyone should at least try to go to school and figure it out to see if they like it or want to do anything,” Benji. said. “College is a great time. I got the full experience, went all four years. I learned everything I needed to learn.”

With a limited number of credits left to secure his degree, Benji. still plans to finish what he started, though it may take a bit longer than expected.

His advice for those aspiring to discover what they’re good at and what they’re passionate about is to try new things, experiment and keep trying. ”There’s a lot of time out there and there’s a whole big world to see,” Benji. said.

As Benji. propels forward with plans to share new music, and enter more tours in 2020, he just wants to introduce himself in the best way possible.

His upcoming project “Smile, You’re Alive!” is expected for release at the start of 2020.

What happens after that is still a mystery, but Benji. foretold the following. ”I think the best is definitely yet to come,” Benji. said.

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 11

FEATURES

On the Frontlines

@badgerherald

As threats of gun violence rise rapidly, imminently impacting communities, youth take matters into their own hands and put their bodies on the line

by Peyton David Board Chair

Adeline Gent started her work in the Gun Violence Prevention movement at the beginning of the school year when she went to a forum at her local church which hosted some March for Our Lives members from the Madison West High School chapter.

Since then, she co-founded her own chapter of MFOL at Cambridge High School, lobbied at the Capitol and, most recently, has been planning a vigil for the Sandy Hook victims.

She talked to two state representatives about the then-upcoming special session on gun control, specifically addressing red flag laws and stricter background checks.

The special session, which garnered national attention, was opened and shut by Republicans without any debate within 30 seconds.

“I was very nervous,” Gent said. “This movement is all about youth but it’s nerve wracking as someone who is brand-new to the movement jumping in and hoping that adults and actual people working in politics and for the state take me seriously.”

Gent is particularly unique within the GVP movement — she’s a 14-year-old freshman in high school.

But her involvement is anything but. Along with her chapter at Cambridge, across the country, there are hundreds of MFOL chapters led by high school and college students.

And there isn’t a shortage of national groups with youth in high positions looking to achieve the same goal, including Students Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety and Generation Progress.

Like Gent, Karly Scholz, a junior at Madison West and Wisconsin State Director for MFOL, also pressured legislators to vote favorably for sensible gun control. She said there was overwhelming support from Democrats and the willingness to listen from Republicans. But when it came time to vote, she said it was very clear listening was all they were going to do. “[What] really stuck with me the most is that a couple of the Republican senators were like, ‘Oh, I really like to hear both sides’ … or ‘I really want to listen to what everyone has to say,’ but when they open and closed [the special session], it was pretty clear that is not what they want,” Scholz said. “[There was a difference between] what they were telling me in their office while I was standing there, with my March for our Lives t-shirt on, versus what they did surrounded by like-minded people.”

With rising threats of gun violence in the U.S. and a lack of political will in legislators, stories like this will always be timely. And though there certainly is a place for adults in the GVP movement, on the frontlines, locally and nationally, there are youth who don’t want their communities to be next. They’ve joined local chapters of MFOL, lobbied to their legislators, and, as Daud Mumin, chair of the diversity and inclusion committee for MFOL and a freshman at Westminster College in Utah said, put their “bodies on the line.”

12 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

Localizing efforts

In early November, ensconced in the basement of a Washington D.C. synagogue, was a room packed with youth activists ages 18 to 25, brought together to make connections with other young activists to bring gun violence prevention strategies back to their respective communities.

Not My Generation is a youth-based, youth-led group that focuses on bringing together youth across the country to build coalitions of young activists for gun violence prevention strategies. In their inaugural year, NMG put together a summit to build “strong peer led networks,” introduce mentors from various GVP organizations, give resources for each state, and introduce year-long action plans.

“This work in the gun violence prevention movement isn’t about doing work whenever you want. It’s about what work is real world and what work is affecting you every day ... my identities affect how I do my work.”

Daud Mumin, Chair of diversity and inclusion committee for March For Our Lives, freshman at Westminster College, Utah This was the first time I had attended such a conference and what struck me the most was that it was built and led by people who were the same age as me.

This was where I met Mumin, Linnea Stanton, the Midwest regional director for MFOL, and Jacob Sumner, a sophomore at Arizona State University and co-founder of his MFOL chapter on campus.

Like many of the people I talked to and like many people at the summit, Stanton, a junior at Marquette University, started organizing a few days after Parkland. She had been looking online to see if there was anything being organized in Milwaukee coinciding with the MFOL national march in Washington D.C. No one had claimed to be doing it yet, so she and her friend did.

“It was the most hectic six weeks of my life,” Stanton said. “I had never organized anything before, so that was my jumpstart into organizing.”

She then took the energy generated from the national movement and applied it to the Milwaukee community and continued to organize community events, like hosting the Parkland students on their national tour, Road for Change.

The Parkland shooting happened a few months before Sumner was set to graduate from his Arizona high school. And though he lived across the country, he was similarly impacted by Parkland.

“It was kids who were my age who were victims of this horrible mass shooting,” Sumner said. “It could have been me or my friends that were the victims and I didn’t want that to happen.”

In the year since Parkland, there have been, on average, one mass shooting per day, defined as four or more people being shot, according to Vox. Sumner and his friends organized a walkout in high school, and his work in the GVP movement snowballed from there. After graduating, he went to ASU where he co-founded his university’s MFOL chapter. There, he has worked on voter registration and done call campaigns to pressure his legislators to ban assault weapons.

But for Mumin and many other young activists at the Not My Generation summit, his expertise in the GVP movement comes from lived experiences. And while his work in the movement originally started as antiIslamophobia activism, Mumin said that when he is doing this work and going into spaces, he doesn’t get to stop wearing his identities on his sleeve.

“This work in the gun violence prevention movement isn’t about doing work whenever you want,” Mumin said. “It’s about what work is real-world and what work is affecting you every day … my identities affect how I do my work.”

After Sandy Hook and Parkland, the nation saw the battlecry “never again” — a movement which fueled the conversation about gun violence and brought about stricter gun laws. This included 25 states passing gun violence laws to keep guns away from domestic abusers and 10 states passing laws expanding background checks on gun sales.

But the nation has proved time and again that what it takes to fuel movements — not limited to the GVP movement — is violence inflicted upon white people.

Though the rising threat of gun violence in schools is very real and are becoming more deadly, the likelihood of dying in a school shooting is one in two million, according to the CDC. Two-thirds of the victims in school shootings were white. But three-quarters of all school violence occurs in single acts, 60% of which impacts urban schools. The single-victim homicide rate is 8.27 times higher for black non-Hispanic youth than their white counterparts.

In the Not My Generation summit, one of the criticisms of the GVP movement that was discussed was how leaders of the movement often aren’t the ones who are most likely to be or are the ones who are most adversely impacted by gun violence, but are more likely to get the recognition.

“Who do [legislators] show recognition to? Who do they work alongside? Who do they appreciate?”

FEATURES

facebook.com/badgerherald Mumin said. “Government officials on a local, state and national level have a tendency to appeal to the moderate organizations and a lot of times, marginalized communities don’t identify in moderate politics. A lot of times their politics are radical or sometimes their politics are demanding to be respected and to not be killed for being black.”

These problems aren’t exclusive to any place — the lack of inclusion of minoritized individuals in the GVP movement takes root in every community, Wisconsin and Madison included.

State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, called gun violence a public health epidemic, and said it needs to be treated as such.

“People haven’t gotten that attention because it’s been stigmatized, that communities of color just get immune to the gun shots,” Stubbs said. “Like it’s just normal. But that’s not normal. But because it’s communities of color, instead of focusing on the gun violence, they focus on the drugs and they focus on the crime. It’s all these different systems.”

Sheray Wallace, a community health worker and founder of the Meadowood Health Partnership, works to interrupt cycles of violence within the Meadowood community, located on the southwest side of Madison.

She specifically brings health initiatives to the community and focuses on building relationships with youth in order to disseminate that information.

Wallace focuses on youth in particular because when youth are constantly surrounded by violence, they think it’s alright, she said.

“If I reach the youth, then that’s going to be the young adults, then that’s going to be the adults, then I can break the cycle of our young black men and our young black women going to prison,” Wallace said.

Building relationships and trust, bringing resources into the community and providing accessible education is necessary to community building. When youth see people care, then they communicate that to their friends, which creates a domino effect in the community, Wallace said.

Stanton, Mumin and Scholz all said there are communities who are afflicted by violence who are already doing the work. Asking groups what they need and partnering with groups as much as possible is essential.

“Show up for communities without your ego … you have to sit and learn before you speak,” Stanton said. “Even if you’re the one with access to resources, doesn’t mean you know all the answers. It just means you need to figure out a way to take the resources that you have and give them to people who might not have resources but definitely have opinions or skin in the game.”

Supporting youth activism

Gent, Scholz and Ella Ceelen, a senior at McFarland High School, are all under the age of 18. Their voices in the movement is loud and necessary, but limited by their lack of a right to vote.

Though Ceelen doesn’t have an MFOL chapter in her high school, she organized a walkout during one of the MFOL national walkout days to bring locality to the issue.

The walkout didn’t get a positive response from the administration, who she said didn’t support the walkout because it would be disruptive. After the walkout, the school held mass detentions for everyone who participated, Ceelen said.

Since then, she and her friends put flyers up for an environmental march that was going on. An administrator called them down to the office and made them reimburse him for the paper and ink, Ceelen said.

Gent has had a similar experience. She said her high

school administration doesn’t want to be political on either side and risk having conflict.

“For the walkout, we did have to end up missing school and I’ve gone to the different climate marches in Madison and it has led to missing school,” Ceelen said. “It’s more about thinking what’s more important?

Missing one test in the long run or contributing to a movement?”

For right now, adults are the ones who are lawmakers and legislators, Ceelen said. While youth are a catalyst for change, adults are the ones who can enact that change.

The Wisconsin Coalition for Gun Safety looks to link groups across the state with interests in addressing rising gun violence, like domestic violence prevention groups, physicians against gun violence and student led groups, all of whom have been impacted by gun violence in different ways, State Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, said.

“For the walkout, we did have to end up missing school and I’ve gone to the different climate marches in Madison and it has led to missing school. It’s more about thinking what’s more important? Missing one test in the long run or contributing to a movement?”

Ella Ceelen, senior at McFarland High School, Madison Stubbs said it’s the role of adults to not only give youth a seat at the table, but also teach them to be part of the process. This looks like teaching youth how to take what they want to do, refining it and writing it in a bill, for example.

“That’s where community and others can be better stakeholders, is allowing youth voice to be a part of the decision making process,” Stubbs said. “In their conversations is always a plea for help … It’s authentic.

It’s not watered down … They just say it and they call [legislators] out.”

In Dane County, there have been a few examples of that. The Youth Governance Program allows young folks a seat at that table where they can directly bring their voice. Additionally, in February for Black History Month, Stubbs invited all of the Black Student Unions from across the Madison Metropolitan School District to the Capitol to see the legislative process.

It’s not just legislators who should be involved in supporting youth activists, Stubbs said. When Stubbs invited all of the students to the Capitol, she said the teachers are the ones who are close to students and are listening.

“As we educate the youth, we educate that guardian

or parent,” Stubbs said.

Mumin had a positive outlook on adult work in the GVP movement.

Time and again, adults are working with youth, not the other way around, Mumin said.

“We’re the face of the movement, we’re the voice of the movement, we’re the action of the movement,” Mumin said. “For me for a long time … age was an actual determining factor of whether I should be listened to, whether I should be heard, whether I should be respected or not. Now in the movement … people will look at us and see on the frontlines is youth with just the support of adults.”

Part of what makes Scholz’s work at Madison West High School so successful is the support of her administration. The school encourages outside engagement in junction with academics, and hosts clubs during lunch, which helps Scholz be a student and work in the movement.

Moreover, as Scholz partook in lobbying during the special session, she said she teamed up with the 80% Coalition and Moms Demand Action, both groups that are led by adults. She said one of the key things they did was listen to their ideas and collaborate about reaching out to other students to encourage them to come.

“There’s still a lot to be done with being okay with not being in charge all the time and to step back and listen,” Stanton said of adult organizers.

What makes an expert?

Within three days in early December, there were eight instances of violence in Wisconsin high schools.

As an editor for her school newspaper, Ceelen and her coworkers were going through their paper ’s archives and found that there were threats against the school made consistently throughout the years.

Recently, the school experienced a gun threat.

“With the way our nation is going, it was only a matter of time before there was some sort of threat, whether it was real or not,” Ceelen said. “I don’t think anyone was too frightened, but I think it started the conversations that we’re seriously messed up because of this.”

Mumin, like many young activists he’s worked with, has experienced imposter syndrome within the movement because of his age.

But when thinking about who is an expert, it’s important to understand why they are, Mumin said.

Some become experts because of lived experience, others become experts through years of organizing, Mumin said.

“I did not choose to experience gun violence, I did not consent to experiencing gun violence,” Mumin said.

“That’s what made me an expert, that’s what made me in the forefront of this movement.”

The conversations about the GVP movement started nationally and have trickled down and settled locally, mostly because of the role of social media. Because this generation has grown up digitally, they’re the ones who are the experts on it.

The world is more interconnected, Mumin said. With that, organizations need to digitize their movements, but remember that activism is still in real life. Messages need to be authentic, raw and radical, Mumin said.

Stanton echoed that sentiment, saying it’s really good that people march and post because that spurs the wider conversation around gun violence. But it’s not enough.

“Do something that is not just posting,” Stanton said.

“Show up to a meeting once a month, do something that claims that you’re involved, rather than just occasionally posting. But also, keep posting because that’s how the conversation continues.”

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 13

EDITORIAL BOARD

@badgerherald

2019 FALL HEADLINERS

At the close of each semester, The Badger Herald Editorial Board awards those people, proposals and policies which have dominated the news cycle across the University of Wisconsin campus, city of Madison and state of Wisconsin. Below are your Spring 2019 victors. The Editorial Board serves to represent the voice of the Badger Herald editorial department, distinct from the newsroom, and does not necessarily reflect the views of each staff member.

‘tHIS IS A WHITE’ AWARD: UW HOMECOMING VIDEO Something is rotten at the University of Wisconsin. And it’s been rotten for years — a persistent problem from the beginning.

We are, of course, referring to diversity and the campus climate, which has long been described as unwelcoming at best and hostile at worst for students of color. This semester’s homecoming video showed how this perennial problem can rear its ugly head in new and seemingly endless ways.

The video, produced by the student-run homecoming committee, was excessively white. Excluded from it were historically and currently marginalized student populations — people who are expected to call this place home. Which they don’t. How could they?

Cue #HomeIsWhereWIArent, a campaign that emerged from this fiasco and called attention to the experiences of UW’s students of color. An alternative homecoming video came with it, communicating that, for some, this university is anything but home.

Certainly, problems abound in this situation. For starters, a quick look at UW’s homecoming video will show that there simply aren’t enough people of color at our decision-making tables. Or, what’s more, in our classrooms. In our dorms. At our dining halls. You get it.

But to say this problem is specific to UW would be a grossly

narrow reading of it. Higher education more broadly has been failing the diversity test since day one. Which then prompts a question: What can be done about it?

At UW, certain programs with the ostensible goal of fostering diversity have been implemented. Bucky’s Tuition Promise, which covers tuition for any in-state families with an annual income of less than $56,000, has identified greater socioeconomic and racial diversity on campus as one of its desired outcomes, as have diversitybased scholarship programs, along with the implementation of new campus cultural centers.

But is that enough? Does it change anything? Diversity for diversity’s sake doesn’t mean much if an accepting space has not been created in tandem. Governments and administrations have long grappled with the question of whether they can legislate hearts and minds. Certainly they can try. Certainly they have. But a considerable portion of righting this wrong must fall on the shoulders of white students themselves — to intentionally and continually create a welcoming campus climate.

When or if we will get there remains to be seen. As we suspect it will continue to be. But try to reach it we must.

Mary Magnuson The Badger Herald

THE WORST PRECEDENT AWARD: AKBAR SAYEED’S RETURN TO CAMPUS

Michelle King 14 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

At the end of October, the Wisconsin State Journal broke a story about UW engineering professor Akbar Sayeed’s “toxic” and “abusive” lab. Graduate students at the engineering school’s Wireless Communication and Sensing Laboratory reported working conditions that are nothing short of inhumane. Sayeed reportedly compared students to “slaves” who must learn to endure pain because it would last only four or five years.

John Brady, who attended UW to pursue a doctorate degree in electrical engineering and worked in Sayeed’s lab, killed himself in October 2016 at the age of 28.

Sayeed was placed on a two-year unpaid leave, but is now expected to return to campus in January 2020. Nearly 300 students gathered Dec. 5 to protest Sayeed’s return.

Protestors issued a resolution and a series of demands to the school’s provost to support and protect graduate students going forward, though Sayeed is still slated to be back on campus in January in an administrative, nonteaching role, according to a statement from Ian Robertson, Dean of the College of Engineering.

“This was a deeply disturbing situation that goes against the core values of our institution and leaves us with a profound sense of loss,” Robertson said. “In the College of Engineering and at UW–Madison, we are fully committed to maintaining a supportive climate in which all members of our community treat each other with respect. We do not tolerate hostile or intimidating behavior.”

Going forward, students should be concerned about the potential this incident has for setting a precedent for handling cases of harassment from professors and graduate advisors. Most professors and faculty have nothing but students’ best interests in mind, and work hard to ensure their students have a positive — and safe — learning experience.

But when cases of wildly inappropriate behavior are treated lightly — namely, when the accused professor is allowed to return to the university — it undermines trust in other professors because it calls to question the university’s ability to handle such situations.

EDITORIAL BOARD

facebook.com/badgerherald

THE SECOND-BIGGEST RACE OF 2020 AWARD: MADISON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 SEAT Fittingly, Madison’s student district has long been represented by a fellow student in the city council. At one point that was Paul Soglin.

More recently, Zach Wood. Today, Sally Rohrer, who was appointed to fill the seat left by Avra Reddy, who was elected last year and served six months before resigning at the end of September.

Prompting Reddy’s resignation was a family illness, which left an unexpected vacancy for the District 8 seat. Throughout most of October, the Madison City Council underwent an application process to fill the seat. The applicants: Rohrer, a La Follette School of Public Affairs student — Wood, the former District 8 alder; Yogev BenYitschak, the former Associated Students of Madison Vice Chair — Max Prestigiacomo, a UW student heavily involved with the Youth Action Climate Team — and Amelia Stastney, also a La Follette student. The council ultimately decided on Rohrer in a 4-2 vote after a second round of interviews which included just herself and Wood.

Rohrer will serve until the April 2020 election — roughly a five month term. The seat will likely be contested by a slate of young candidates, similar to what campus saw play out last year between Reddy and Matthew Mitnick, a UW freshman involved with ASM. Not unlike the rest of Madison’s aldermanic districts, the eighth typically votes for candidates robed in progressive bonafides.

Reddy — and Rohrer, who vowed to continue Reddy’s platform

in her absence — has identified environmental sustainability, voter accessibility, affordable housing and public safety as top priorities. The candidates who ultimately throw their hats in the ring this April likely will as well. How they differentiate themselves and their approach to addressing these perennial issues for Madison’s student district will define the election, so look out for that.

One assured factor of this race: Young people will own the day. As they have. And as they should in a district composed of their peers.

It’s a rare facet of Madison political life — one that this board — also comprised of students — cherishes. A continuation of the student representation we had under Reddy and have under Rohrer is welcomed.

Also welcomed as a continuation from Reddy’s short tenure: Diverse leadership. Reddy was the first woman in a generation and first ever woman of color to represent the eighth district. Considering that our university has long struggled with issues of diversity, which we saw in obvious ways this year, it is fitting that those who will lead us forward embody the diversity we seek.

On a different note — we hear there might be another election coming up next year. Not sure which office. If we hear anything, we’ll get back to you. We’re positive this one is happening though.

Jason Chan The Badger Herald

‘OK, BOOMER’ AWARD: YOUTH ACTIVISTS MAKE UP FOR POLITICIANS’ INACTION The name of the game this semester has been youth activism. From climate strikes to protesting the wrongful firing of their mentors, Madison’s kids have shown they are not to be messed with.

Around the country, youth led the fight against climate change, with activists like Isra Hirsi, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Jerome Foster II and Greta Thunberg on the front lines. Right here in Madison, young people like Max Prestigiacomo, founder of a youth-run nonprofit dedicated to fighting climate change and current candidate for Madison City Council, are bringing the issue of climate change into the limelight.

All of this certainly seems exciting and encouraging — it is great to see young people getting involved in political and social issues, and even better that their action is starting to have a real impact. But the question remains — how did we get here?

How did we get to a point where adult lawmakers and politicians are so disinterested in doing their jobs that kids in high school — or even middle school — have to pick up the slack? Ultimately, the fact that kids are so involved in this work shouldnt be as encouraging as it should be a wake-up call for politicians.

Here in Wisconsin, and around the country and the world, lawmakers need to step up and take action on these issues. Young people have shown us that they will not be silent about issues that matter to them — it’s time for lawmakers to listen.

Molly DeVore The Badger Herald

Molly DeVore The Badger Herald

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 15

EDITORIAL BOARD

@badgerherald

‘there’s a new sheriff in town’ award: langdon street officer As UWPD made plans this semester to create a new downtown liaison position in part to compensate for the loss of MPD’s “Langdon Street officer,” many students, particularly in the Greek community voiced concerns for their safety. Damion Figueroa, the newly-resigned “Langdon Street Officer,” had built a comfortable relationship with many members of the Greek community, and received high praise in an August external review of all Greek life.

Perhaps it might be for the best, then, that UWPD’s new Downtown Liaison will cover not just Langdon Street, but also the area surrounding the high density apartment complexes surrounding State Street.

While significantly more students will be under the jurisdiction of the new officer, it is likely only a slightly larger physical area will be covered — UWPD stated the position will cover Langdon, Lower State Street, and the 600 Block of University Avenue.

When a law enforcement position becomes tied to one campus community instead of a broader community of students who are all

in a shared area, it no longer functions as an equal enforcer. It begins to protect an ideal — a community that deserves to be safer than others.

While many have pointed to the high offense rates in Langdon’s district as a need for the additional protection, these offenses certainly do not stop at the corner of Langdon and Lake. Providing a liaison to students in this high-density area strengthens equality in protection and may strengthen relationships to law enforcement for many more students who are not involved in Greek life.

UWPD’s new position also signifies a new period where the university’s assumed responsibility for the safety of students off campus greatly increases. By assuming this role, UWPD assumes the culture of the university itself makes these areas less safe, and therefore increases a need for the university to continue to create and modify programs to shape student culture towards safety for everyone, not just one community.

Marissa Haegele The Badger Herald

‘I haven’t seen people this angry since the red starbucks cup’ award: capitol holiday tree

Courtesy of Dr. Blake Walter

Ever since Gov. Tony Evers took office, state Republican lawmakers have worked far harder to undermine his administration than they have to work towards the legislative progress that characterizes good government.

Even before the former superintendent of public instruction took office, Republicans approved extraordinary session bills and signed them into law that acted in no other capacity than to erode the legitimacy of the governor’s office.

Recently, the state government has all but slowed to an unproductive stop fueled by partisan gridlock, or, perhaps more accurately, fueled by Republican distaste for anything with Evers’ support. This winter, that philosophy was taken to childish extremes when the State Assembly debated for nearly half an hour over what to call the tree which conventionally stood in the State Capitol during the holidays.

Democrats, in the spirit of inclusion, advocated for a “holiday tree,” which had been its title for 25 years before former Gov. Scott Walker assumed office. Republicans, under the guise of tradition, demanded the government “call it what it is.”

In the words of State Rep. Scott Krug, R-Nekoosa, “It’s a Christmas tree, it’s a Christmas tree, it’s a Christmas tree,” Krug repeated.

Half an hour may not feel like an inordinate amount of time

when taken alone, but in contrast to how long the Assembly spent discussing sweeping gun control legislation, it shows just how far Republican lawmakers are willing to take their crusade against all things Evers.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos began and ended the special session in as much time as it takes to tie your shoes. Fifteen seconds later, the session ended, and with it any opportunity to discuss legislation designed to protect the lives of Wisconsinites.

Vos is largely the enforcer of this practice and, essentially, decides on whose terms political discussions will be debated. If it’s to decide the title of a tree, he and his colleagues will take up the debate for 30 minutes, but condemn the entire exercise.

“I thought it was a fight not necessary to have,” Vos said.

And yet he continued to fight.

But when the discussion is to debate gun legislation, Vos will still condemn it, but without even a shred of acknowledgement that it’s worth discussing. Instead, he’ll call it an attempt by the governor to “inject this hyperpartisan issue where he knows he’s not going to generate some kind of consensus.” Meanwhile, two shootings two days apart at two Wisconsin schools couldn’t be a clearer call to action for lawmakers with the power to stop them.

If only the Republican leadership with the power to take up the issue at all would do so.

‘have you no shame?’ award: wi republicans and disability accommodations GOP members of the Wisconsin Assembly made their priorities painfully clear this fall in a shamefully transparent power grab limiting accessibility for State Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchburg, who is paralyzed. Anderson requested accommodations which would make it easier for him to participate in legislative processes, given his disability, but in a disgusting move, Anderson was forced to vote against his own accommodation bill.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, led the crusade against Anderson, even going so far as to say Anderson was trying to sabotage him by politicizing the issue. Oct. 10, the Assembly was set to vote on a resolution which would allow “appearance at committee meetings by telephone or other means of telecommunication or electronic communication,” an accommodation that would allow Anderson to serve his constituents better.

Seems like a good step, right?

16 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

Unfortunately, it was too good to be true. The same resolution was riddled with a series of poison pills which would expand Republicans’ power in the assembly, including increasing the number of times the Republican-controlled Assembly can vote to override vetoes.

This left Democratic lawmakers in a difficult position — vote yes, allowing Republicans another ridiculous power grab, or vote no on their colleague’s accommodation. Rather than finding a bipartisan agreement to support a fellow representative, the resolution split along party lines, and Republicans forced it through 61 to 35.

Through these efforts, GOP lawmakers made one thing clear — they have no interest in pursuing bipartisan agreement over anything, and they will take advantage of any and all opportunities to snag more power — no matter whose toes they need to step on.

Dana Kampa The Badger Herald

OPINION

facebook.com/badgerherald

Street medicine provides healthcare for the most vulnerable populations

Urban homeless populations struggle to access adequate healthcare, but expansion of healthcare programs show promise

by John Grindal Columnist

Being homeless in any city is a challenging and often treacherous state.

The life of any homeless individual is riddled with a multitude of stresses — where to eat, where to sleep and where to find shelter amid unforgiving weather.

More often than not these problems are exacerbated by an urban environment.

Considering the variety of daily challenges burdening America’s homeless populations, it comes as no surprise that healthcare often takes a backseat to seemingly more pressing and immediate needs.

Madison’s homeless population is no exception to this unfortunate reality, and with roughly 2,400 people on the streets on any given night, the city faces a formidable challenge in ensuring that these individuals are cared for.

Homeless patients are rarely seen in traditional healthcare settings. This absence is likely due to stigmatization

surrounding homelessness, which naturally leads many homeless individuals to feel unwelcome in healthcare facilities.

So-called “street medicine” programs aim to combat this problem by delivering basic care to homeless individuals via backpack and mobile care units. Street medicine initiatives aim to reach out to the homeless population where they are and to forge relationships with people with the eventual goal of connecting them with more extensive services such as housing.

Joy Fernandez de Narayan, a nurse practitioner and director of Atlanta’s Mercy Care Street Medicine Program highlighted the importance of forging personal connections with patients.

“When we’re coming out here to talk to people, we’re on their turf,” she said.

Programs like Mercy Care in Atlanta have been reaching out to patients for only a few years, while others have been in operation since the early ‘90s. As of 2018, MACH OneHealth has provided Madison’s homeless residents with weekly street care services. Although the program only serves

patients on Thursdays and covers specific routes throughout the city, OneHealth says it plans to expand its offerings in the near future to include more remote campsites and operate more hours per week.

Much like in Mercy Care’s program, efforts in Madison center around forging relationships between healthcare professionals and the homeless population, said Matt Julian, a social worker at OneHealth’s outreach programs.

“I’m a friendly face in the community who tries to get them into the clinic,” Julian said.

Additionally, street care programs provide homeless individuals with a sense of dignity through social interaction which they might not commonly experience otherwise. Life on the streets is not only a hazardous existence but also quite a lonely one, filled with humility and sacrifice.

Johnny Dunson, a frequent Mercy Street Care patient explained being able to interact with a psychiatrist or doctor even once a week can be life-changing.

“You gotta let someone know how

you’re feeling, understand me?” Dunson said. “Sometimes it can be like behavior, mental health. It’s not just me. It’s a lot of people that need some kind of assistance to do what you’re supposed to be doing, and they do a wonderful job.”

Street medicine programs act as more than just a band-aid solution to the medical problems faced by the homeless — they act as a bridge between the less fortunate and traditional medical treatment. Caregivers such as those recently appointed in Madison and those working in cities like Atlanta are reaching out a helping hand to those who often have a hard time trusting those who offer to help. In many communities, these programs have evolved from a service that dispensed flu shots and clean socks into an invaluable resource for those most in need.

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

You After UW: How Wisconsin labor market impacts students’ job search

Racial disparities in unemployment rates, varying percentages of students staying in state reveal unequal post-graduation job experiences

by Anne Isman Columnist

September, the U.S. national unemployment rate hit historic lows with a record level of 3.5%. Wisconsin is no exception to this trend. The state’s unemployment rate was actually slightly lower than the national figure, at 3.3%.

Not only do low unemployment rates indicate a strong labor market, with nearly all job seekers able to find some form of employment, but this also means that employers must work harder to attract employees through efforts such as increasing workers’ wages. But while low unemployment is a good thing, Wisconsin residents of color still face stark disparities when it comes to employment, which may be driving University of Wisconsin students and graduates to look elsewhere for internships and jobs.

Low unemployment may sound promising on the state level, but this is not the case for black Wisconsin residents.

As of 2015, 11.6% of black residents were unemployed. For those that are employed, median income for black households in Wisconsin is just over $29,000 annually,

“ In a state with such glaring

invome disparities across racial lines, it’s evident that the labor market is only strong for some state residents, but not others..”

compared to $58,000 for white households.

In a state with such glaring income disparities across racial lines, it’s evident that the labor market is only strong for some state residents, but not others. With

these bleak income statistics in mind, nonwhite UW undergraduates will likely be driven to look to more equitable states when making their post-graduate plans.

Generally, college graduates tend to flock toward urban areas, regardless of the location of their Alma mater. While almost 90% of college graduates live in urban counties, roughly 60% of these graduates live in large metro areas. This comes as no surprise, as a highly populated metropolis offers more job opportunities for recent graduates. As a result, fewer jobs are created in rural areas with less educated workforces, further driving graduates to urban areas.

When it comes to UW alumni specifically, in-state graduates tend not to leave Wisconsin for work. According to a report conducted by the Office of Policy and Analysis Research, 81% of UW graduates who were considered instate residents remained in Wisconsin after graduation. In contrast, just 13% of non-Wisconsin or Minnesota residents

remained in-state following graduation.

Most notably, Madison and Milwaukee have the most Wisconsin alumni out of all top U.S. cities.

Despite the state’s shortcomings when it comes to equitable pay, it’s clear that graduates tend to stay in the state following graduation. While this could be due to the fact that the majority of UW students are from in-state originally, the fact that Madison is a city with plenty of internship and job opportunities for students entices undergraduates during their time here to stay.

Though racial disparities may drive students of color out of Wisconsin once they graduate, students and alumni have clearly benefited from a robust job market in Madison, where undergraduates are the perfect labor supply for local firms and businesses and the nearby Wisconsin State Capitol.

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

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 17

SPORTS

@badgerherald

Women’s Hockey: Offensive weapons key in No. 1 Badgers’ success Junior transfer Daryl Watts, returning starters are driving offensive production, sustained success for one-loss Badgers

by John Spengler and Dani Mohr Sports Editor and Staff Writer

The University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team (18-1-1, 10-1-1 WCHA) is off to another predictably hot start. With little loss in existing talent and the addition of Daryl Watts, the Badgers were primed for yet another successful season as they seek to add to the accomplishments of an already storied program.

The chance at another trip to the national championship looms for the nearly undefeated Badgers at the midpoint of the season. With only one significant fault on the season to the Gophers, the Badgers are currently setting a similar pace to their 20182019 campaign that ultimately brought a national title back to Madison.

Since losing to the Gophers Nov. 2, the Badgers have won eight straight. Prior to their matchup against Minnesota Duluth, they landed the No. 1 ranking in the country after remaining at No. 2 for three weeks. The loss to Minnesota set them back, but a slew of impressive performances allowed the Badgers to reclaim the top spot in the nation.

Wins against ranked teams such as Penn State, The Ohio State University, Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State — including domination over Harvard and Boston College at the Country Classic — put the Badgers in the perfect position to continue their journey towards another run at a national title.

Although this team may be tough to beat, it is not impossible. Their difficulties with No. 2 Minnesota may be a threat to their shot at a back-to-back championship.

They will face each other again later in the season in January, and the outcome may determine which team will head to Boston searching for a title.

Last season, the Badgers also fell to the Gophers in their first contest of the season by a score of 0–1. Despite this early setback, it was how the Badgers handled business against the Gophers in the back half of the season that truly mattered. Even after they dropped their last regular-season matchup vs the Gophers, the Badgers went on to defeat them in both the WCHA tournament and the national championship game.

With Minnesota currently sitting at No. 2 in the nation, the Badgers’ future performances against them will be a perfect metric for whether or not their repeatchampionship hopes are legitimate.

Wisconsin’s schedule for the future is loaded with more conference matchups, including rematches with highly ranked conference opponents such as Minnesota, The Ohio State University and MinnesotaDuluth.

The main reason for the Badgers’ rampant success this year has been their overbearing offensive production. In fact, the Badgers are currently performing 18 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

worse this year defensively than last year, despite their comparatively impressive record.

Goalkeeper Kristen Campbell currently has a save rate of 89%, placing her outside the top 25 goalkeepers in the nation for that statistic and underperforming last year’s rate by 5%.

Campbell’s consistently stalwart performances last year, especially down the stretch, helped carry the Badgers to a national title. With her statistics slightly sliding, the results are made manifest in the Badgers’ goals allowed.

In the 2018-2019 season, they allowed an average of exactly one goal per game. Now, nearly halfway through the season, that number has ballooned to 1.6 goals per game.

While this may not seem like a large increase, it is notable to remember that the Badgers will consistently shutout a large number of non-competitive opponents throughout the season.

In turn, this means that a majority of this increase in goals allowed per game is a result of goals scored by top-ranked teams — the same teams the Badgers will have to defeat if they are to bring a second straight title to Madison.

With a defense that has slid from the impressive heights of last season, much of the burden has fallen on offensive production to lead the Badgers to their current record.

Luckily for them, a number of players have stepped up to the challenge.

In six of their last seven victories alone, the Badgers have managed to score at least five goals, with Watts scoring at least once in six of those same seven games. Watts is currently leading the Badgers in overall scoring with 18 goals on the season. The junior transfer student and Patty Kazmaier award winner has been a crucial aspect of the Badgers’ repeat success throughout this season.

At this point in the season, Wisconsin leads

the country in scoring by almost a goal per game, yet the top line isn’t just where the power is coming from. Watts, Sophie Shirley and Abby Roque have combined to score over half of the Badgers’ goals this season, but a highly impressive 15 others have chipped in at least once.

If they are to come off a strong weekend at LaBahn Arena against Minnesota Duluth, the Badgers can go into their three week break knowing that while they’ve already achieved success this season, there is still more work to be done if they are to acquire a second straight national title.

In order to finish out the season strong and as reigning champs of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, the Badgers must prove themselves once again against a tough schedule filled with ranked teams. Once they can prove themselves and come out on top, the Badgers have a shot at becoming national champions once again.

Photo · Wisconsin’s road to the national championship will be paved by offensive production, led by junior transfer Daryl Watts Samuel Parmentier UW Club Boxing

facebook.com/badgerherald

SPORTS

Men’s Hockey: Sitting down with star freshman Alex Turcotte Highly touted recruit, No. 5 overall NHL Draft pick showcases potential for stardom at collegiate, professional levels

Alex said. “It was all fun and games, so I kind of jab him back a little bit now.”

Even with some playful jabs, the relationship between the two is purely The University of Wisconsin men’s ice loving. hockey team (7-10-1, 2-7-1-1 Big Ten) is Turcotte was enthusiastic about the having a rough go at the dish lately, losing amount of support his father has given in several underwhelming performances. him, as it has helped him become the Despite having a record under .500, they player and man he is today. remain one of the nation’s top and most “I’m here and I am who I am today exciting programs. because of him,” Turcotte said of his father.

Part of this success? Wisconsin’s highly“He’s definitely been the biggest influence recruited freshman center, Alex Turcotte. in my life on and off the ice, so he’s been a Turcotte was drafted with the fifth great supporting piece.” overall pick in the 2019 National Hockey Alex has had a tremendous impact on League Entry Draft by the Los Angeles the Badgers’ offensive success this season, Kings and stands as the third-highest but it is not just him carrying the load. selected Badger in the NHL Draft in school Wisconsin’s freshmen as a whole have history. been the glue of the team and have had an The 5-foot-11, left-handed, 180-pound enormous impact on the season thus far. centerman from Island Lake, Illinois, has Turcotte pointed out how, despite the had a terrific freshman season through 14 team’s youth, most of the players are used games, scoring over a point-per-game on to playing against older competition. average. He is a top contributer for the “A lot of us [freshmen] played juniors, Badgers in points (15), goals (6), assists (9) so we played against older guys when we were younger than them, so we kind of have some of that experience,” Turcotte said.

“It’s still a big adjustment. Even from the USA team to here ... we can always improve and definitely have a lot of things to work on.”

Another adjustment for Turcotte has been playing in front of a larger crowd at the Kohl Center as opposed to playing in front of the crowd at the U.S. National team games. Yet, this has been a relatively smooth transition for him despite the daunting nature of the task.

Though Turcotte has had a great experience playing for the Badgers this season, his decision to play came as a result of choosing not to play for the Kings. This was a huge decision for Photo · Standout freshman Alex Turcotte has impressed as a Badger thus far, accumulating 15 points through 16 games someone who has been surrounded by hockey his entire life.

Daniel Yun His reasoning, The Badger Herald however, was not related

by Jake Gross Associate Sports Editor

and powerplay goals (4).

He was one of four Badgers to be drafted in the 2019 NHL Draft, others being freshmen Cole Caufield, Owen Lindmark and Ryder Donovan. These four have all played together on different U.S. National teams prior to this season. Turcotte described how going to school, practicing and playing with these three has created a tight bond between them.

“That’s where we became best friends,” Turcotte said. “Having that encouragement has been great and it’s like another support piece. You get to lean on guys like that because you’re going through the same thing as them, so it’s been great.”

While his friends and teammates have been extremely supportive of him, nothing has served as more of a support piece to Turcotte than his dad, Alfie Turcotte, who was drafted 17th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.

Alex discussed his feeling on being drafted twelve spots higher than Alfie.

“He’d always kind of chirp me about it,”

to avoiding his inevitable leap to play professional hockey, but rather because of his relationships with current Badger teammates.

“Just the guys that are here, a lot are really great teammates, and going with Cole and Owen — it was an easy decision,” Turcotte said.

Even with this decision, Turcotte is aware that his NHL jump is looming, and he acknowledged that getting stronger and more prepared for the NHL is a major factor on his mind.

Moving forward, improvements can come in numerous ways for Turcotte.

This means improving his goal scoring, shooting and 200-foot game in order to bring these attributes to Los Angeles, where there already lies an elite 200-foot centerman and one of Turcotte’s favorite players, Anže Kopitar.

“As far as goal scoring goes, just scoring from different areas on the ice, but using my shot more,” Turcotte said. “I’m more of a playmaker, so I think using my shot can be a dual threat. I know what I can do offensively, but I think you want to be out there in all situations, and in order to do that, you need to have a good 200-foot game.”

To develop his 200-foot game, Turcotte strives to be more relied on defensively, and to improve his faceoff percentage.

His ability to develop as a player has changed drastically over time, as he had to find ways to succeed against players who were much bigger, stronger and older.

“When you’re a kid, it’s a lot more separated on talent and you can kind of get away with it if you are more talented, but then ever since the U.S. teams and college … there’s not that much of a difference from each player,” Turcotte said.

The sudden even playing field has caused Turcotte to work much harder than he ever had before.

Turcotte explained that playing in college has required an adjustment period, but he feels that the high level of competition is crucial to his career.

“I think just working hard and trying to get better every day can really go a long way because there’s not much separation from guys,” Turcotte said. “Everyone’s a lot older and physically more mature, and, especially in college, there’s 25-year-olds.

That’s crazy. I’m 18, so playing against guys that are way older, I can only help and see how much of a physical advantage they have, but you have to adapt, and it can only make you better.”

Turcotte has had an insane season thus far, with 15 points through 16 games.

Linemates Cole Caufield and Linus Weissbach are the only players on the team with more thus far this season.

Next time you’re at a Badger hockey game, watch out for No. 15 on the ice, as he may be an NHL star in the making.

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 19

SPORTS

@badgerherald

Men’s Basketball: Badgers skid as conference play is set to ramp up

Promising start to season slows as Badger offense runs into significant struggles in three underwhelming performances

by John Spengler Sports Editor

After a somewhat promising start to a season slated for rebuilding by many before the year began, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has begun to slide with a string of consecutive losses.

At the onset of their non-conference schedule, the Badgers appeared to show some fight even when taking on top-ranked opponents. They fought strong against Saint Mary’s and even took down in-state rival Marquette.

At the foundation of each of these performances were Nate Reuvers and Brevin Pritzl. Against Saint Mary’s, Reuvers accrued a team-leading 22 points. He also managed to lead the team in rebounds and blocks with six and four, respectively. When facing Marquette, Pritzl — the lone senior on this incredibly young Wisconsin team — contributed an impressive 15 points, tied for best on the team.

While Reuvers was expected to play a larger role offensively following the departure of Ethan Happ, Pritzl’s significant contributions in the team’s most important win of the season so far was nearly

completely unexpected. In fact, one of the only reasons he received so much playing time that game was due to Kobe King’s minor leg injury sustained during practice.

Even with a few players stepping up to provide offensive production, the Badgers have struggled to put a sufficient number of points on the board. Wisconsin is averaging only 68.4 points per game through their first nine games of the season.

The Badgers’ scoring average during their losses this season have been understandably worse. In their first four losses of the season, they have managed to score a measly 54.75 points per game. This is sincerely concerning as the season moves forward and the Badgers continue to face stiffer competition in the Big Ten as their total points per game average has been significantly bolstered by their wins over non-competitive contenders.

In fact, the Badgers currently rank dead last in the Big Ten for scoring average.

While this statistic does not paint the full picture as conference play is yet to begin in earnest, it does demonstrate that the Wisconsin offense is struggling relative to their conference opponents that are right around the corner.

Three of the most recent losses suffered by the Badgers demonstrate these offensive struggles quite well. In the Legends Classic tournament — when facing off against Richmond and New Mexico — the Badgers scored a cumulative 102 points. That’s just 51 points a game.

The story remained the same against North Carolina State as Wisconsin again failed to crack the 60 point mark throughout the entire contest. While Pritzl saw less game time due to the return of King, Reuvers continued to lead the team in offensive production.

Reuvers was the only player to put up double-digit points in all three of these contests as he averaged 15.3 points per game. In the two games the Badgers played at the Legends Classic, only one other team member managed to score in the double digits as King put up 10 against Richmond and D’Mitrik Trice had 11 against New Mexico.

Perhaps the biggest missing piece these last few games for the Badgers has been Brad Davison. At the onset of the season, Davison caught fire. In four of the Badgers’ opening five games, Davison had at least 15 points. The only game he appeared to struggle some was against Eastern Illinois as the Badgers triumphed by just three points. Their total score that game?

Only 65 points.

Now, in each of their three losses to Richmond, New Mexico and NC State, Davison averaged only 3.7 points per game.

That is a marked decrease

from the offensive impact he made in the Badgers’ opening five games.

Obviously Davison’s failure to put up consistent double-digit offensive production is not the only reason that the Badgers have struggled as of late. It’s quite clear that the will need every single offensive weapon that they have to perform to the peak of their ability if they are to remain competitive in the ruthless landscape of the Big Ten this season. Yet, it remains that Davison’s absence as a scoring leader has been anything but insignificant for the Badgers.

Wisconsin’s defense has largely been what has kept it in competition throughout this opening portion of the regular season.

The Badgers have managed to allow competitors just 62.8 points per game. Yet, this won’t be enough on its own for the Badgers to consistently take on the best of what the Big Ten has to offer.

Remember that the Badger offense ranks dead last in the Big Ten in scoring.

Well, what about that impressive defense you might ask? Allowing 62.8 points per game is good for only sixth place in the Big Ten. For the two statistics that mean the most when the rubber hits the road — that is, how many points you score vs. how many your opponents score — the Badgers have an average conference ranking of 10th place.

The Big Ten is one of the most cutthroat conferences in basketball as things currently stand. If the Badgers are to succeed in it, they will have to maintain their already impressive defense. More importantly, they will have to close the 20 point gap in pergame scoring they have opened with those at the top of the conference.

Housekeeper/Caregiver Wanted

Photo · Despite impressive wins over Marquette, Indiana at home, Wisconsin has consistently struggled on the road this season Justin Mielke The Badger Herald 20 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

Looking for a very responsible and honest housekeeper/caregiver. Must be a clean/tidy person and must love kids. Work four days a week, Mon.-Thurs.

Drive my 2 kids to and from school and salary is $750/week.

Contact Jerry at dunamistriumph@gmail.com

SPORTS

facebook.com/badgerherald

UW Athletics: A look at Wisconsin’s impressive athletic semester

With conference champions in various sports, UW had an all-around successful semester, highlighted by football, volleyball

by Harrison Freuck Sports Editor

The University of Wisconsin had one of the most impressive athletic semesters in school history in fall 2019. Behind strong performances in sports ranging from football to volleyball, the Badgers impressed on the field, court, ice, mat and track. Let’s take a look at the semester that was in UW sports, starting with the teams whose seasons are over.

Men’s Cross Country: The men’s cross country season was up to expectations entering the season. With the team coming off a top 10 finish in the NCAA Championships last season, they were expected to repeat with a similar performance this season.

The team did lose several seniors from last season, but the team fought through adversity and finished near the top of each tournament they participated in.

They then moved on to take first place at the Big Ten Championships before finishing 18th nationally at the NCAA Championships.

Behind seniors Oliver Hoare and Olin Hacker, the team met expectations from the moment the season started back in September.

Women’s Cross Country: Like the men’s team, the women’s cross country squad performed well on the big stage in November.

Led by seniors Alicia Monson, Amy Davis and Alissa Niggemann, the Badgers finished in seventh place at the NCAA Championships. Monson finished second overall, UW’s highest individual finisher since 2014.

The Badgers also had two sophomores and two freshmen run at the tournament, so expect a young core to take over for the senior trio next season.

Men’s Soccer: Unlike many of the other fall sports that Wisconsin participates in, the men’s soccer team underperformed mightily in 2019.

Despite finishing with a 6-2 record in Big Ten play and a win in the Big Ten Tournament last season, the team didn’t record a victory against Big Ten competition until their last game of the regular season.

With several seniors departing after this season, don’t be surprised if Wisconsin struggles again next year before taking a step forward in 2021.

Women’s Soccer: The women’s soccer team made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year, marking the first such streak in school history. Led by senior Dani Rhodes and goalie Jordyn Bloomer, the team made it all the way

to the Sweet 16 in the tournament.

Ranked in the top 10 at season’s end, the Badgers impressed en route to a Big Ten Championship.

Expect some regression with the loss of key seniors like Rhodes, but Wisconsin should return to the NCAA Tournament again next year.

Men’s Basketball: While the men’s basketball season has only endured a month’s worth of games thus far, it’s clear that this Wisconsin team is one of the weakest in several years.

Standing at just 5-4 on the season, the team has struggled offensively despite carrying a roster loaded with players who are capable of shooting, including juniors D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison.

Wisconsin will need to figure out their shooting struggles and turnover troubles

as they get deeper in their schedule, when they’ll be faced with top Big Ten teams like The Ohio State University, Michigan State, Maryland and Michigan.

Women’s Basketball: The women’s basketball team has performed to expectations through just over a month of their schedule, standing at 5-3 as of Dec. 7.

Led by sophomore Imani Lewis, the team has yet to lose a home game and even came within four points of winning against ranked Arkansas. Lewis is leading the team with 13.6 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game.

If Wisconsin is able to keep playing up to par with their opponents, they may finally earn an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, an achievement they haven’t attained since the 2009-10 season.

Photo · With football winning the Big Ten West, volleyball ranked top 5 nationally, fall 2019 can be declared a successful semester for UW Athletics Justin Mielke The Badger Herald

Men’s Hockey: In previous years, the men’s hockey team has underperformed greatly, failing to reach the NCAA Tournament since the 2013-2014 season.

This season, however, it looks like Wisconsin may make a return. Despite having a losing record to this point, the Badgers have held their own against an extremely tough schedule, featuring several top 10 opponents.

Led by freshman phenom Cole Caufield, the Badgers will look to turn their record around in Big Ten play in order to remain in position for a tournament appearance.

Women’s Hockey: Women’s hockey has gone just as anyone would have expected considering their dominance over the last two decades, specifically under Head Coach Mark Johnson.

Coming off an NCAA Championship season last year, the No. 1 Badgers have gone 18-1-1 through a little over two months of play, with their lone loss coming to No. 2 Minnesota.

Led by the trio of Abby Roque, Sophie Shirley and Daryl Watts, the Badgers are again performing at a high level as they gear up for another NCAA Tournament run.

Football: The football team has had what can be described as a rollercoaster season, but it’s safe to say it has been successful considering last season’s struggles.

Despite losing to Illinois and OSU in October, the team finished the regular season at 10-2, including wins late in the season to ranked teams in Iowa and Minnesota to win the Big Ten West.

Following another loss to OSU over the weekend in the Big Ten Championship, the Badgers will be heading to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl, where they’ll be matched up with the Oregon Ducks, the 2019 Pac-12 Champion.

Volleyball: The UW volleyball team turned their season around in a major way following a 4-4 start. While Wisconsin struggled early in the season to win against high-quality opponents, they flipped the trend during Big Ten play.

Finishing with an 18-2 record in Big Ten play, the Badgers earned the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, hosting several games in their corner of the bracket.

Led by two-time All American Dana Rettke and a supporting cast that improved with age, Wisconsin had one of their most impressive regular seasons to date, and they’ll look to continue that performance through the NCAA Tournament.

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 21

SUPERLATIVES

@badgerherald

In 20 years, this person will (be)…

player

Management: Abby Doeden 2019: Editor-in-Chief 2039: Platinum tier Noodles and Company loyalty member Emilie Cochran 2019: Managing Editor 2039: Owns L.L. Bean Molly Liebergall 2019: Managing Editor 2039: Opens candy store “Molly’s Lollies”

Features: Gretchen Gerlach 2019: Print Features Editor 2039: Instagram influencer Anna Walters 2019: Digital Features Editor 2039: Still coming to Badger Herald events

News: Nuha Dolby 2019: Print News Editor 2039: Has put Juul out of business Molly DeVore 2019: Digital News Editor 2039: Finally gets her nose rings back Mary Magnuson 2019: Digital News Editor 2039: Steve Irwin, except for bugs Lauren Henning 2019: State News Editor 2039: Rides around the state of Wisconsin conducting interviews whilst on her horse Courtney Erdman 2019: City News Editor 2039: Finally meets Manu Raju Caroline Li 2019: Campus News Editor 2039: Forward Madison FC’s star 22 • badgerherald.com • December 10, 2019

Opinion: Cait Gibbons 2019: Opinion Editor 2039: Still our mom ArtsEtc: Zach Lutz 2019: ArtsEtc. Editor 2039: Finally goes to Plaza Sports: John Spengler 2019: Sports Editor 2039: Performs the Star Spengled Banner, as is his birthright Harrison Freuck 2019: Sports Editor 2039: Still asking for honey at Sencha “if they have it” Copy: Philomena Lindquist 2019: Copy Chief 2039: Has a nice small dairy farm, sings to her cows (: Shayde Erbrecht

2019: Copy Chief/Publisher 2039: Finally stops introducing himself as “like a lamp shade” Emily Gaare 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Signing official documents with “erg” Max Mindorff 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Reading tarot cards Lindsey Knuth 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Editor of newsweek Arushi Gupta 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Having nightmares about Oxford commas Sam Huss 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Abbreviating street addresses Maggie Hendon 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Reading the Associated Press Stylebook Audrey Swanson 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Runs a swan habitat called Swanson’s Swans Chloe Christiaansen 2019: Copy Editor 2039: Still fixing your mistakes Design: Lily Oberstein 2019: Design Director 2039: Drawing for the Cap Times Channing Smith

2019: Design Director 2039: Political Cartoonist Caitlin Geurts 2019: Layout Director 2039: Passes legislation to ban Comic Sans Photo Ahmad Hamid 2019: Photo Editor 2039: National Geographic photographer Tao Zhou 2019: Video Editor 2039: Shooting on Hollywood sets PR: Peyton David 2019: Board Chair 2039: Goes down a shoe size just for fun Angela Peterson 2019: Director of Public Relations 2039: Runs a meme page full-time Tony Spence 2019: Social Media Coordinator 2039: Official purveyor of “that clean, professional look” Business Patrick Williams 2019: Director of Advertising and Promotions 2039: Billboard emperor Morgan Healey 2019: Nonprofit Manager 2039: Still the Nonprofit Manager

SHOUTOUTS

facebook.com/badgerherald

Like our Shoutout page? Tag your tweets and ‘grams #bhso to see them printed in future issues.

badgerherald.com Twitter: @BadgerHerald Instagram: @BadgerHerald

#Badgers #Packers

i do not feel emotions without cold brew anymore a problem for another day I think

Cold Brew Fan Account @prlindquist

Damn how much daylight they tryna save ?!?! It’s dark as a bitch

@thenfamousbecks_ @NyaaBeckles

Scary Alvarez @barryisthedon

I just witnessed a couple using an electric scooter to move a Christmas tree and I felt the need to share that on this platform.

Tara Golshan @taragolshan

Sure am offering up a lot of personal information on dating apps to people I will have no chemistry with whatsoever in exchange for making no progress toward getting over yet another unrequited crush!!!!!

Rachael Lallensack @rlallensack

December 10, 2019 • badgerherald.com • 23