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HonorSociety.org: An academic honor or a rip-off? By Sammy Gibbons FEATURES EDITOR
Marilyn Sallee checked her Wiscmail account throughout the previous year to find, on several occasions, emails from an organization called HonorSociety.org. The messages commended her “academic achievements” and accepted her into the society. The catch? Sallee attends classes at UW-Madison as a senior guest auditor, meaning she does not receive grades for or any measurement of such “achievements” as normal students do. Sallee said, “the claims about my high grades qualifying me for this Honor Society were very suspicious.” This was among many other characteristics attached to the organization that may raise red flags. HonorSociety.org is, as their emails read, “the preeminent organization dedicated to recognition of student success.” The organization operates heavily through their website, particularly for members from institutions like UW-Madison where there is no physical chapter. According to HonorSociety. org Executive Director Michael Moradian, not everyone at UW-Madison receives an email from them, but everyone is eligible to join. He said they work directly with the university to determine who they send the emails to. Because the university is a public institution, directory information, including email addresses, “is releasable under state open records law upon request,” according to UW-Madison spokesperson Meredith McGlone. GPA is not available for public access, but awards such as Dean’s Lists are, although individuals like Sallee do not appear on Dean’s Lists. However, she said there has not been a directory-information
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Many students at UW-Madison have received emails from HonorSociety.org, recognizing them for their acceptance into the society. Some university officials, however, have called the site a “rip-off.” request from HonorSociety.org in the last three years. Anyone can make a request, though, so an individual may have requested the information without naming the organization. “UW-Madison does not have any institutional relationship with HonorSociety.org nor do we endorse it or encourage students to participate in it,” McGlone said in an email. The Association of College Honor Societies, which is described on their website as “a visibly cohesive community of national and international honor societies,” does not include HonorSociety.org as a member of its community. According to a USA Today article, most professional honor societies are certified by ACHS. They have a warning posted on their website that
encourages students to thoroughly research organizations they receive invitations from, like HonorSociety. org. And they offer a checklist that describes criteria for determining whether an honors society is legitimate or not. ACHS Executive Director Lisa Wootton Booth said HonorSociety. org, as well as similar organizations, “call themselves honor societies without even meeting the most basic of these standards around minimum scholastic criteria.” “They are merely for-profit groups happy to accept membership fees from any and all students regardless of accomplishments or lack thereof,” Booth said in an email. “Belonging to their organization does not actually confer any sort of genuine honor.”
HonorSociety.org does charge a membership fee of $50 bi-annually. Moradian said fees are necessary in order to ensure members are “invested in the society.” He said the money goes toward building programs and serving members, as well as funding scholarships and other benefits members receive, which include dining and health discounts. According to Sabine Gross, director of the UW-Madison College of Letters & Science Honors Program, it is not unusual for “reputable Honors societies” to require such a fee, but these societies then have “clear admissions criteria,” which HonorSociety.org lacks. Moradian said this is a move for their mission to become more inclusive. “To be a member it’s just quite simply taking the initiative to join,”
Moradian said. “It’s an open process, and it’s purposely not prohibited. We don’t want to turn people away. We’re looking to build an inviting culture.” He added other benefits the organization offers, which academic scholarships, as well as leadership and networking opportunities. Alison Rice, an undergraduate scholarships officer in the College of Letters and Science, listed several questions to ask when evaluating honor societies—one was “is there an active local chapter?” and another “is there a local contact that I can call?” UW-Madison first-year nursing student Abbey Vadnais, a member of HonorSociety.org who received a scholarship through the organization, said she has not been in communication with other members or leaders associated with HonorSociety.org. However, her scholarship—which she was applied for by writing a short essay—was legitimate. Logging onto the HonorSociety. org website today, you will not find UW-Madison in the list of chapters. Moradian said this is due to new features and upgrades they are installing over the summer, which include a new app, additional social networking features and an Honor Society Rewards Credit Card. Booth and Gross both said they urge students to thoroughly research HonorSociety.org and ask questions before forking over membership fees to what Gross called a “rip-off.” “It’s analogous to invitation to ‘publish your poetry’ for a fee, or invitations to submit one’s bio to a ‘national directory of scholars’ for a hefty sum,” Gross said in an email. “I can see how unsuspecting recipients might be taken in or at least wonder—but [HonorSociety.org] fails every serious test of credibility.”
UW employees to complete program against sexual harassment and violence By Lawrence Andrea CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
Starting this July, all UW-Madison employees are now required to take an online sexual violence prevention education course as part of the university’s efforts to crack down on sexual assault and harassment. “Promoting Equity at UW– Madison by Preventing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence” is a one-hour training module aimed to teach UW-Madison faculty definitions of sexual harassment, assault and stalking, as well as prevention strategies and how to report incidents.
“The way we start to change [the growth of sexual violence] is to make faculty aware of what is acceptable behavior and to hold each other accountable.” Bret Payseur member UW-Madison Sexual Assault Climate Survey Task Force
This introduction comes just over a year after an Association of American Universities survey found
high rates of female professional and graduate students reporting sexual harassment by UW-Madison professors. Survey results showed just 4.1 percent of female undergraduates reported sexual harassment by university faculty compared to 32.9 percent of female graduate or professional students. The online training program— hosted in Learn@UW—was created in response to federal, state and UW System expectations, but was also influenced by recommendations made by the Sexual Assault Climate Survey Task Force, according to UW-Madison genetics professor and task force member Bret Payseur. Payseur said that after the task force survey found “a remarkable rate of sexual harassment of graduate and professional students by faculty members,” they offered recommendations about how to deal with this issue. One solution was to increase awareness and training for employees on campus. “Faculty are charged with educating students, but they are also charged with keeping them safe,” Payseur said. “I think it is fundamental that we are aware, as faculty, of the
scope and nature of this problem and that we are part of the solution. This means knowing how to effectively respond when a student approaches a professor and reports an experience they’ve had.”
“Faculty are charged with educating students, but they are also charged with keeping them safe.” Bret Payseur member UW-Madison Sexual Assault Climate Survey Task Force
Payseur acknowledged that sexual violence and harassment has become a growing problem at UW-Madison but said that this prevention program is a part of the solution. “The way we start to change [the growth of sexual violence] is to make faculty aware of what is acceptable behavior and to hold each other accountable,” Payseur said. UW-Madison employees will be required to take a refresher course every three years. The university plans to have the program available in different languages by 2018.
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UW-Madison employees will be required to take an online sexual violence prevention education course as part of the university’s efforts to crack down on sexual assault and harassment on campus.
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The highs and lows of summer TV
PHOTO COURTESY OF HBO - JUSTINA MINTZ
Yvonne Orji (left) and Issa Rae star in HBO’s “Insecure,” with its sophomore season airing this summer. By Monique Scheidler TV COLUMNIST
Summertime is often seen as an “off-season” for all good TV, but this summer a lot has been happening. Here are some of the highs and lows this season, from best to worst: “Game of Thrones” HBO has had a stronghold on summer’s hottest TV shows this year. “Game of Thrones” continues to smash their own record-high ratings. This season especially, they’ve thrown everything they have into it. They’re finally bringing together plotlines and characters that
have been in development for the past six seasons. With only seven episodes this season and six next season, they’re wasting no time. Every episode has left me feeling shocked and emotionally exhausted, more so than ever before. You can catch the remaining three episodes on HBO at 8/9 central. “Insecure” Following “Game of Thrones” on Sunday, HBO has another summer hit in “Insecure.” After a shocking finale, we follow Issa as she’s venturing through her newly single life, being somehow more relatable this time around.
That finale also split fans of the show into Team Lawrence and Team Issa, further arguing that Issa may be the best anti-hero of all time. Shows often underwhelm during their second season, but “Insecure” has continued with the same magic that made it a hit last season—and continuously gives us the best TV soundtrack ever made. “Room 104” I tried to limit my HBO choices for this summer, but I couldn’t leave out “Room 104,” HBO’s new anthology series created by the Duplass brothers. Each episode has an entirely new cast, new plot
The hottest records of the summer By Logan Rude MUSIC COLUMNIST
In nearly every moment of my free time, I find myself searching for the best new music. That task proves to get even more complicated when summer rolls around. Filled to the brim with an endless supply of radiant party-anthems, moody records fit for a breezy night-time stroll and albums to fit nearly every other type of feeling, it can be hard to find the gems sprinkled throughout. Here’s a brief list of some of this summer’s best albums. Tyler, the Creator has a long reputation for being quite abrasive throughout his career. His latest album Flower Boy is a departure from that faux-edgy persona. Entirely produced by Tyler himself, his fourth album is the finely-tuned project that the young rapper has been trying to make throughout his solo career. It is a near perfect mix of soulful, nostalgia-ridden ballads and hard-hitting tracks fit for any rambunctious function. Not only is the production on the album impeccable, but Tyler’s raps are stronger than ever. His lyrics are witty, catchy and concise. Nearly every song has a hook that will be stuck in your head nonstop until you satisfy the urge to listen to it again. Once you hear “See You Again,” you’ll wonder how you went your whole life without hearing such a mesmerizing hook. While Flower Boy is perfectly suited for days with the sun beat-
ing down on your exposed skin, rap duo Shabazz Palaces delivered an album primed for staring into the night sky and wondering about what’s out there. Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines is the second of two synthladen albums released by the group this summer. Critiquing the state of hip-hop, pop culture and society as a whole, the album demands your utmost attention to catch every little detail. The production is otherworldly; it feels as grand as space itself while pulling you in, letting you inspect every individual layer. It’s intimate and distant at the same time. There’s so much to unpack in this album that I still find myself discovering new things after listening to it 20 times. Spend a night sitting under the stars while listening to Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines and you’ll probably end up with more questions than answers, but that’s part of the fun. Now picture yourself driving down a highway along the ocean in a convertible as the wind blows through your hair; The Drums’ newest album Abysmal Thoughts is the soundtrack for that coastal drive. Pulling partly from surf-rock and conventional indie, The Drums seamlessly mix the feel-good attitudes of the beach with some good old-fashioned teenage angst. It seems like a strange mix, but the combination encapsulates the feeling of growing up and not know-
ing what’s next all the while being equally excited and uneasy for whatever comes. It’s the embodiment of ignorant youthfulness. BROCKHAMPTON, a group of 20-year-olds who met on an online hip-hop forum, released a bombshell of excitement with Saturation. Featuring a collection of songs that showcase each individual member’s strengths beyond belief, the album brings a lot to the table. Songs like “Star” and “Milk” show that the hip-hop collective’s chemistry is off the charts. Clever lyrics, original production and a diverse range of sounds make Saturation a truly oneof-a-kind album that deserves your attention. With another album on the way by the time summer ends, it seems that BROCKHAMPTON are poised to become something great. Lorde’s sophomore album Melodrama proves that she’s a star who knows how to evolve as an artist without completely losing touch of her past work. In a similar vein as some of the other albums mentioned earlier, Melodrama is overflowing with the feeling of youth. As cliché as it may sound, Lorde makes you feel like you can literally do anything. There’s something about her voice that makes you feel like you’re unstoppable, so for that reason alone, Melodrama is a must-listen. As summer comes to a close, these albums are just a few of the gems that have incredible staying power. Here’s to hoping that the fall semester brings even more great albums.
and new genre. The only thing that stays the same is the location: hotel room 104. So far the episodes that have aired have all been beyond amazing. They pull together a variety of incredible actors, and as an added bonus, over 50 percent of this first season is female-directed. I really can’t recommend this show more. “House of Cards” In my personal opinion, this season of House of Cards was one of my favorites. Though Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood is one of my favorite performances, this season we really got to see Robin Wright’s Claire Underwood shine. They pulled us through an election that somehow was just as stressful as ours was this past year. We got to see really amazing performances and terrifying plot twists that have me counting down the days until next season. “I’m Sorry” Surprisingly enough, another hit of this summer comes from truTV (yeah, the channel that I thought only aired “Forensic Files” reruns). “I’m Sorry” follows Andrea, a mother and comedy writer, through her daily life. It’s immature, raunchy and everything you wouldn’t expect from a show centered around a mom. It’s flipping the narrative of how moms are depicted in the media—and it’s acknowledged in the pilot. Andrea Savage is great
as the protagonist, and the supporting actors are just as hilarious and charismatic. (Also, Jason Mantzoukas is just as great as always, so watch it for him alone.) “GLOW” Netflix got into the summer TV competition with a few original programs of their own. Riding off of their success with “Stranger Things,” they went back to the ‘80s, but this time with a campy comedy about female wrestlers. I went in with huge expectations and found Alison Brie’s incredibly unlikeable character dragging the show down, but as a whole, the rest of the cast carried it with their huge personalities. It was a lot of fun and far too easy to binge with its 30-minute episodes. “Friends From College” Netflix is lucky to have released instant fan-favorite “GLOW” to balance out this flop of the summer. “Friends From College” is a new comedy following, shockingly enough, a group of friends from college as they all end up living in the same city and have to spend more time with one another. The stand-out performances are Keegan-Michael Key and Billy Eichner, but the rest of the cast falls a bit flat and the chemistry between them all is more than lacking. It’s more of an indie comedy, quiet and reserved, that doesn’t quite translate well into a sitcom.
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This summer’s best and worst films By Samantha Marz ARTS EDITOR
Summer is arguably the best time of the year for the cinema because it gives audiences the chance to see a variety of films. While there are some films I didn’t get the chance to see, here is my personal ranking of the films that were released this summer, from best to worst: “Wonder Woman” My favorite film of the summer is absolutely “Wonder Woman.” Directed by Patty Jenkins, “Wonder Woman” stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, an Amazon warrior who becomes involved in the battle and terror of World War I after U.S. Pilot Steve Trevor, played by Chris Pine, crash-lands in her world. I never realized how much I needed a female-led superhero movie until I saw Diana become Wonder Woman on-screen. Jenkins takes the time to set up each of the characters, forging emotional ties between them and the viewers. Gadot and Pine are delights to watch, their chemistry completely charming and believable. That’s not to mention the action sequences, which are emotional and enthralling. Diana’s battle in “No Man’s Land” ranks among the best action-set pieces in any film, with Junkie XL’s score building up the tension. Yes, the third act is weaker than the first two, and yes, the villain could have been developed more. But Patty Jenkins created a film unlike anything I’ve seen in a long time, and it remains the only film this year that has deeply affected me after seeing it. For that reason alone, “Wonder Woman” is, in my mind, the best film of the summer. “Baby Driver” Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver”
is unquestioningly one of the best films of the year. “Baby Driver” follows Ansel Elgort as Baby, a getaway driver with tinnitus who uses music to drown out the ringing in his ear. Wright first conceived of the film’s concept while in his 20s, and his passion shows. The construction of this movie is a marvel; the soundtrack is timed perfectly to the action that appears on screen, giving the film a lively, rhythmic pulse. Elgort also shines as Baby, showing off his theatrical background. Although the ending feels stretchedout, I was completely strapped in for this original ride of a film. “The Big Sick” A quieter release this summer, “The Big Sick” stars Kumail Nanjiani as himself, depicting the true story about how he met his wife Emily, played by Zoe Kazan, and the struggles he must face when Emily contracts a life-threatening illness. This film is a special one, blending comedy and drama in a realistic way. Nanjiani and Kazan charm on-screen, making me feel like I was watching a real couple having conversations and interacting with one another. Nanjiani and his real-life wife co-wrote the script together, and their experiences come across with how genuinely and honestly the story unfolds. “Dunkirk” “Dunkirk” is movie that, despite its title, is not a “war” movie. Director Christopher Nolan presents a non-linear story encapsulating the evacuation of troops in the city of Dunkirk, France, weaving perspectives from the beach, air and sea. Those expecting a characterdriven story may be disappointed;
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Gal Gadot stars as the iconic Diana Prince in this summer’s hit blockbuster, “Wonder Woman.” this is entirely an experiential film, placing viewers in the boots of the troops enduring this frightening time, rather than focusing on the characters’ backstories. Credit for that goes largely to the sound design and Hans Zimmer’s atmospheric score, blending deafening gunshots, plane engines and the ticking of a stopwatch. I found myself completely tensed up the entire time, so much so I had to shake my arms and legs out after leaving the theater. While it’s not my favorite Nolan film, it was one of the most visceral viewing experiences I’ve ever had. “War for the Planet of the Apes” Director Matt Reeves rounds out this stellar “Planet of the Apes” prequel trilogy with “War,” following Andy Serkis as Caesar, who squares
off with Woody Harrelson’s Colonel in a battle for the planet. This is another film that, despite what its title states, isn’t a “war” film; it is a much more personal, emotional battle being fought between Caesar and the Colonel, which may take some viewers by surprise. That said, it is flawlessly directed and completely engaging. The CGI, as expected, is spectacular, and Serkis deserves acclaim for his motion-capture work throughout this entire franchise. Michael Giacchino’s score also feels like a character of its own. The story does get exposition-heavy, but the emotional undercurrent really propels this movie to a satisfying and tear-jerking conclusion. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Director James Gunn keeps the momentum from the first “Guardians” movie going with its sequel. This MCU installment is a more personal story, following Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill as he reconnects with his father, Ego, played by Kurt Russell. What “Vol. 2” lacks in actionpacked sequences, it makes up for with emotional depth. Gunn takes time to flesh out his characters— some more than others, but effectively nonetheless. It also features a formidable—and arguably Marvel’s best—villain, upping the stakes more so than any previous MCU film. I don’t think it’s quite as good as the first “Guardians,” but it’s damn close and a great time to watch. “Alien: Covenant” I adore the two original “Alien” movies, and while I didn’t enjoy “Prometheus,” I was excited to see director Ridley Scott return to the “Alien” franchise with full force, and to me, he didn’t disappoint. This installment is a prequel to the original franchise, following a crew ship with the intent of colonizing a distant planet. “Covenant” blends and retreads on some of the plot points seen in previous films, but I found myself completely riveted from start to finish. Star Michael Fassbender shines as the androids Walter and David with a performance that gets under your skin. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” “Homecoming” is the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the third on-screen adaptation of the web-slinger. Tom Holland brings to life the best version of Spider-Man I’ve seen, depicting Peter Parker as an awkward, yet charming high schooler learning to control his super powers. Michael Keaton also stars as the Vulture,
Peter’s antagonist. The MCU isn’t exactly praised for its villains, but Keaton humanizes the character to make the audience empathize with him. While I enjoyed “Homecoming,” I don’t believe this is the best SpiderMan movie. It’s too long, which threw the pacing off, and I felt there was too much focus on connecting SpiderMan’s story to Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and the rest of the MCU. “The Dark Tower” The latest Stephen King book-tofilm adaptation, “The Dark Tower,” stars Idris Elba as Roland Deschain, a Gunslinger tasked with protecting the Dark Tower (a mystical structure that holds the universe together), and Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black, a powerful being who tries to bring it down. As a whole, the film was thin and poorly-paced. “The Dark Tower” has a brisk 90-minute runtime, which didn’t feel like nearly enough time to set up this fantastical world I am supposed to care about. The scenes where Idris Elba’s character is actually “gunslinging” are pretty entertaining, and I was intrigued by the mythology the film was setting up but, unfortunately, “The Dark Tower” fell short of my expectations. “Atomic Blonde” Charlize Theron stars in this Cold War spy thriller as an M16 agent who is tasked with bringing down a group of criminals who killed an undercover agent. While the film has done fairly well critically, I can’t get past the glaring issue of style over substance. Theron certainly kicks a lot of ass in this film, and there’s a jaw-dropping action sequence that takes place in a stairwell which almost got me on board with it. But a film’s story is always the most important part for me, and “Atomic Blonde’s” was confusing, convoluted and lacking in emotional punches—even if it delivers on the physical ones. “Baywatch” Not even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s charisma can save this drowning mess of a “comedy.” The Rock, along with Zac Efron and Alexandra Daddario star as a group of lifeguards who attempt to bring down a criminal drug ring—all the while keeping watch over their beach. While The Rock and Efron have promising on-screen chemistry, the story is muddled, and I struggle to come up with one joke that landed during its lengthy 116-minute runtime. Save your money and don’t see this stink-bomb.
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Immunotherapy research aids in fight against cancer
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By Cayla Guerra the daily cardinal
Like an inoperable tumor inside a patient’s brain, cancer has rooted itself deep within our society. Unfortunately, the current treatments of cancer are almost as unpredictable as the disease itself. But what if the key to fighting this ominous disease has been waging war inside our bodies all along? That is the question put forth by the field of cancer immunotherapy, a cancer treatment that utilizes the body’s own immune system. It is the research topic for Kenneth DeSantes, pediatric oncologist and hematologist at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “In the early 90s when I was starting, there was a lot of excitement originally generated about immunotherapy,” DeSantes said. Unfortunately, the excitement was somewhat premature. “Like many things, when we got a little more experience with [immunotherapy], it didn’t work nearly as well as people hoped it would. The excitement died down and a lot of people thought that was it … But a few of us persisted,” DeSantes said. Because of DeSantes’ passion for helping children and their families, he turned his work towards immunotherapy for pediatric cancers.
“Today, one of the most exciting breakthroughs against both pediatric and adult cancers is the application of immunotherapy.”
Kenneth DeSantes hematologist and oncologist UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health
Right now, three of the most exciting immune components fighting on our side are monoclonal antibodies, natural killer (NK) cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. An antibody is like the sight on a weapon for the immune system. Antibodies target the immune system’s attack by recognizing a single molecule on the surface of the cell, called an antigen. The antibody then binds to the antigen, allowing the immune system to form a bridge between the immune cell and the antigen, which may be on a germ or a cancer cell. There are billions of different types of antigens. Many antigens appearing on tumor cells may also appear on healthy cells. There are very few antigens that are completely tumorspecific, so it’s necessary to create antibodies that target a tumor-specific antigen. “There was a study that looked at patients with relapsed neuroblastoma (a deadly type of cancer seen almost exclusively in children) and it turned out that
Dear Ms. Scientist, Where did the moon come from? Edwin H. Photo courtesy of creative commons
A breast cancer cell seen through electron microscopy imaging techniques. the patients who got the chemotherapy with the antibody had a very good response rate. Here, the antibody worked synergistically with the chemotherapy,” DeSantes said. The antibody used in the trial targeted an antigen very specific to a neuroblastoma cell. This allowed the immune system to attack the malignant cells more effectively, while chemotherapy was also able to target the cancer. Using immunotherapy, current treatments like chemotherapy were improved. DeSantes uses a compound called MIBG, which works similarly to antibodies. Radioactive iodine is attached to MIBG and incorporated into the cancer cell targets. MIBG is a huge aid in delivering radiation therapy to cancer cells and avoiding unnecessary irradiation of healthy cells. It is currently being used to treat children with neuroblastomas and adults with a different type of cancer known as pheochromocytoma. Antibodies and MIBG help the immune cells already present in a patient’s body better attack cancer cells. An alternative method is transferring new immune cells from another person into the patient’s own supply, which can increase the force of the attack. One type of immune cell currently being transferred in this way is NK cells, which can recognize and attack cells that have become “stressed” because of infection or malignancy. A major concern during an immune cell transfusion is that the patient’s body recognizes foreign antigens present on the new cells and destroys them before they have a chance to attack the cancer. A group of antigens called HLA determines what the immune system defines as ‘self’ and harmless, versus ‘non-self’ and harmful. DeSantes will be opening a new trial based on this type of immunotherapy for children with neuroblastoma. They will be using parents as the donors of the NK cells because the parents’ HLA molecules will be around half identical to that of the patient’s, which could prolong the survival of the NK cells after infusion. A concern with immunotherapy is that toxicity caused by the presence of antibodies may be a real threat to patients. Doctors aim to create
a treatment that will have lasting benefits that are worth the immediate controllable toxicity. That is the idea behind CAR T-cells. “A single antibody has a limited lifespan, and it may cause some toxic or off target effects, but it will clear from the system quickly, and then it’s gone. It’s a very self-limiting therapy. The CAR T-cells are a living drug. They have a full life. After you infuse them, they can potentially live forever in the body. So the potential for severe toxicity is very real,” DeSantes said. A regular T-cell is a cell that has an antibody bound to its surface. That part of the cell recognizes and joins together with an antigen on the target cell. The T-cell can then kill its target and send out signals to recruit other types of immune cells to the scene. The T-cell is a fighter and a diplomat, evaluating the threat and sending for backup when needed. A CAR T-cell is a T-cell improved through gene editing. It’s still the diplomat, but it already knows which cells are dangerous and has equipment to create a more rapid and directed response to the threat. DeSantes and his team are using a specific type of CAR T-cell to target cancer. These CAR T-cells appear to remain alive in the body long enough to create lasting results. Persistence of the cells in the patient is an important consideration for CAR T-cells in order to promote lasting remissions. In many ways, it’s just the promising beginning of a field that DeSantes has been following throughout his career. “Today, one of the most exciting breakthroughs against both pediatric and adult cancers is the application of immunotherapy,” DeSantes said. As the war against cancer rages on, doctors like DeSantes help us gain an advantage against the disease. As we continue to learn more, research will be able to employ even more innovative strategies. It will be important for the future of cancer immunotherapy to maintain the ideals that DeSantes and his colleagues did years ago when immunotherapy was almost overlooked. “It’s very gratifying to see how it’s turning out, because I never gave up on it,” DeSantes said.
The moon is thought to have been around for at least 4.6 billion years. While scientists aren’t completely certain how the moon formed, the most popular theory is the giant-impact hypothesis. Scientists hypothesize that back in the days of early Earth (which scientists call proto-Earth), about 60 million years after the formation of our solar system, a Mars-sized protoplanet (an early stage of a planet’s formation) called Theia hurdled toward and glanced off proto-Earth, breaking off a large amount of Earth material. In addition, it’s possible that our tilted axis was a result of this collision with Theia, so we should thank Theia for giving us four seasons! While the hypothesized Theia doesn’t appear to be with us any longer, some of the material that broke off Earth formed a debris ring around our planet. Over time, all the loose debris condensed into a sphere that we now call our moon. So in a way, moon rocks are really Earth rocks that have been separated from each other for a very long, long time.
Dear Ms. Scientist, Why is it so hard to focus while using our cell phones? Steve J. Here’s an early study tip to start off the new school year: stay off your phones while doing homework and during lecture. Constant connection to our phones requires constant multitasking. Our brains are not talented multitaskers. Humans are typically able to multitask activities that use different parts of the brain fairly well, such as folding laundry and listening to the radio. However, using a cell phone activates many areas of the brain, making it nearly impossible to successfully multitask with electronics. There is a brain mechanism in the frontal lobe, the big part behind our foreheads, called the “stop system”. This helps us engage in multiple complicated tasks. This system kicks into overdrive when we use our cell phones while trying to accomplish another task. Instead of increasing productivity, you will have to slow down one task or risk making mistakes. Just like driving while using a cell is not productive, so is any other activity paired with electronics.
Ask Ms. Scientist is written by Maggie Liu and Jordan Gaal. Burning science question? science@dailycardinal.com
bucky list bucky dailycardinal.com dailycardinal.com
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Badger Bucket List
DON’T FORGET YOUR STUDENT ID!
THE CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP & INVOLVEMENT PRESENTS:
STUDENT ORGANIZATION FAIR FALL ‘16 WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH AND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH
kohl center 5-8 pm
www.cfli.wisc.edu
If you need an accommodation to attend this event, please contact involvement@studentlife.wisc.edu. Requests for sign language interpreters, real time captioning, braille or electronic documents should be made by 8/25/16. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date, but cannot guarantee that they will be met.
NEED A RESUME BOOST? IS RECRUITING IN:
Editing, writing, design, sales, marketing and accounting
JOIN US
FRIDAY, SEPT. 16 AT 4 P.M. IN 2195 VILAS HALL
promoting awareness victim empowerment
PAVE works to prevent all forms of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and stalking through education and activism.
-A Campus Tradition since 1968 -#1 Place to Celebrate Birthdays
Ready to get involved? -Drink FREE Beer, Specialty Cocktails, or Soda
Follow PAVE on Your Birthday in your FREE memento mug Visit our website: UW-Madison -A great place to eat before pave-uw.com on Facebook and after Kohl Center events -Serving Weekend Brunch PAVE offers a variety of events and educational tools including, but not limited to: workshops, an in office library shelf, events for volunteers and UW students, and guest speakers.
Visit the office: 333 East Campus Mall MADISON #3147 223 N. Frances St 608-251-2521
Sit first row at a basketball game Take a picture with Bucky Attend a CYC class Go to a night game at Camp Randall Stadium Sled down Bascom Hill on a Gordon Commons tray Go on the roof of Ag Hall Watch the sunrise on the Terrace Go out to Picnic Point Go bowling or climb the climbing wall at Union South Pull an all-nighter at College Library Go to the Farmers’ Market at Capitol Square Go to Freakfest Study on Bascom Hill when the weather is nice (or just lay out and pretend to study) Go to the Chazen Go ice skating at the Shell Watch a Varsity Band Concert Go up in the Carillon Tower Rent a boat and go out on Lake Mendota Go to a hockey game Go to a volleyball game at the Field House Go to a softball game Walk on Lake Mendota when it’s frozen Drink a beer on the Terrace Eat Babcock ice cream Try all the flavors of Babcock ice cream Tour the Capitol Stay up all night studying Stay up all night partying Get lost on the bus Be mistaken for a freshman Go to a concert at the Majestic Go to a concert on the Square Spend a summer in Madison Get lost in Humanities/Vilas Finally decide on a major Celebrate your birthday at the Nitty Gritty Study at the Historical Society Visit Monona Terrace Walk around Willy Street Try every restaurant on State Street Start a chant at a sporting event Share a Fishbowl at Wando’s Make a friend in your class (great for studying!) Join an intramural sport Jump in Lake Mendota at midnight (better yet, skinny dip) Check out the view from the top floor of Van Hise Take a class in Science Hall Play frisbee on Bascom Hill Read the Go Big Read book Go to a concert at The Sett Go to Vilas Zoo Crash a wedding at Memorial Union Thank a professor Study at all 42 UW-Madison libraries “Jump Around”
Vote in an election Join a student organization Visit Monroe Street Have a “bubbler” vs. “water fountain” debate Eat at every dining hall Go to office hours Take a class outside of your comfort zone Sing “Varsity” Eat cheese curds from Der m m Rathskeller Complete an internship Eat Ian’s Pizza at 2 a.m. Take a fitness class at the SERF Work out at the Shell Take a philosophy class Take a class for fun Rub Abe Lincoln’s toe for good luck See the UW MadHatters perform Study in a cage at Memorial Library Go to the Mifflin Street Block Party Go to Revelry Music & Arts Festival Listen to a local Madison band Check out the Art Lofts (111 North Frances St.) Get to know a professor (they’re always willing to help you and you can get letters from them in the future!) Participate or chear on someone in the Crazylegs Classic run Have a brat at State Street Brats Take a random elective Live in the dorms Form a study group Attend the homecoming parade Study at College Library at a table overlooking the lake Visit all the different coffee shops to find your favorite study spot Shop on State Street Stargaze at the Observatory Visit your friends’ hometowns in different states over the summer to try new places Study abroad, there are so many different programs! Bring a paper to the Writing Center for a different set of eyes (great resource!) Attend an away football game (like the Rose Bowl!) Eat lunch on the terrace behind Liz Waters Stock up on your faves at It’Sugar Go to every sandwich spot (there’s quite a few!) and pick your favorite Get lots of free stuff (espcially PIZZA) during Welcome Week! Make an appointment with UHS Don’t be afraid to try something new Go on a fun spring break trip with your besties Don’t oversleep for graduation
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GOP state senator becomes key player in health care repeal process By Lilly Price THE DAILY CARDINAL
Rebecca Blank has served as chancellor of UW-Madison since 2013. She oversees campus administrators such as vice chancellors and deans, as well as advocating for the university at the state government level.
Ald. Zach Wood, District 8, a graduate of UW-Madison, has the district that covers most of the campus area since April 2015, a month before he graduated.
Blank, a leading economist, worked under the Clinton and Obama administrations. As chancellor, she pushed for a “reinvestment in the UW System” and recently praised the legislature’s Joint Finance Committee after the body approved a $36 million increase in funding for the system over the next biennium. Despite victories at the capitol, however, she often faces criticism from campus activists who say she does not take a strong enough stance on diversity issues. —Maggie Chandler
Wood’s re-election campaign earlier this year centered on combating sexual assault on campus. Wood suggested putting cameras in the State and Langdon Street areas. Paul Soglin served Madison as its 51st, 54th and, currently, its 57th mayor after attending UW-Madison for undergraduate and law degrees in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Lori Berquam has served as dean of students and vice provost for student life for a decade at UW-Madison. The Division of Student Life aims to make campus an inclusive, welcoming place for UW-Madison students, according to its website. The Dean of Students often handles issues of both academic and non-academic misconduct. She often briefs the campus community about incidents of hate and bias, as well as sexual assaults. Berquam works with campus groups like the LGBT Campus Center and Black Cultural Center. Berquam was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year but announced she will be able to continue to support the university’s “incredible students.” She encourages the campus community to stay connected with her. —Lawrence Andrea
Patrick Sims, who came to the university as a professor of theater in 2004, has served as UW-Madison’s chief diversity officer and vice provost for diversity and climate since 2015. Sims has a Master of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and theatre studies from Yale University. As a professor of theater at UW-Madison, he became the founding director of the Theater for Cultural and Social Awareness.
Since his days as a student, Soglin has been known for his progressive activism. He protested the Vietnam War while attending the university, he gave Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro a key to the city during his first mayoral stint in 1979 and, recently, he has vocally opposed President Donald Trump’s travel ban.
Wood serves on eight city committees, including the Housing Strategy Committee and the Landlord and Tenant Issues Committee. In a Facebook post this spring, Wood said he will continue to promote affordable off-campus student housing, as well as advocate for “all students and young people” at the city level. —Lawrence Andrea
This summer Soglin announced he would consider challenging Gov. Scott Walker in the 2018 gubernatorial race. —Nina Bertelsen
Sims collaborates with Chancellor Rebecca Blank, the Division of Student Life and other UW System leaders to ensure diverse and underrepresented people feel welcome on campus. Last year, Sims asked UW-Madison’s student government organizations for their endorsement of a diversity statement affirming the university’s commitment to an inclusive campus. Sims said endorsements from student organizations allow his office to move forward on their initiatives. —Lawrence Andrea
Gov. Scott Walker heads the state of Wisconsin and its executive branch. Walker is a well-known Republican and had a short bid for presidency during the 2016 election. It is almost certain the 43-year-old will run for a third term in 2018, although Walker has said he won’t make any announcement until the state budget passes. Walker was first elected in 2010 and is the only governor in history to win a recall election. That recall was sparked after the passage of legislation ended collective bargaining rights—the ability to negotiate wages and other employment conditions—for public employees, especially those in unions. —Lilly Price
UW-Madison senior Katrina Morrison is the 2017-’18 chair of the Associated Students of Madison, the university’s student government. Throughout the school year, Morrison will oversee ASM’s grassroots committees as well as lead Student Council meetings, which students can attend and speak at. Student Council will take place every other Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ASM was criticized by the campus community last spring after the body successfully passed controversial divestment legislation which named Israel in the resolution. During a Student Council meeting held on Passover, Morrison’s actions to pass the legislation garnered backlash. She told The Daily Cardinal she will apologize to the new session of Council representatives at the first meeting. —Maggie Chandler
State Sen. Fred Risser is the longest serving state legislator in the country’s history. Risser, a spry 90-year-old, has been representing Madison as a Democrat since 1962. His district covers all of UW-Madison’s campus and also spans across much of downtown Madison. Risser, who served in the Navy during WWII, always takes the stairs in the Capitol, never the elevator and is also a part time lawyer. Risser’s counterpart in the Assembly is Rep. Chris Taylor, who also represents parts of UW-Madison’s campus. Risser and Taylor can often be seen around town and holding events on campus. —Lilly Price
Infographic by Theda Berry
Repealing and replacing the federal healthcare program Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is the marquee political issue this summer. One of Wisconsin’s U.S. senators, Ron Johnson, became a key player in the repeal process, which has stalled for now in the Senate. Republicans in Washington have been planning to revoke former President Barack Obama’s comprehensive healthcare reform since it passed in 2010. Although the GOP controls both the House of Representatives and the Senate with a Republican president, they couldn’t get past roadblocks to produce legislation that appeals to both moderate and far right members of Congress. Some lawmakers said the proposed repeal went too far. Others say it didn’t go far enough. When the repeal plan that was pushed out of the House reached the Senate, Johnson was one of five senators who argued the proposal should go further in repealing the ACA. He also disagreed with speeding up the legislative process to get to a vote before the July 4 recess. “There’s no way we should be voting on this next week. No way,” Johnson told NBC’s Meet the Press. “I have a hard time believing Wisconsin constituents or even myself will have enough time to properly evaluate this.” Consequently, a Senate vote was not held until after the holiday. Although many versions of a bill to replace the Obamacare program were proposed, none could gain enough support. The most recent version of the bill, dubbed the “skinny repeal” because it would only repeal a few parts of Obamacare, failed when U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine voted against it. Johnson, however, voted yes on the “skinny repeal” amendment that would cause 16 million fewer people to have health insurance by 2026 and increase premiums by 20 percent for those wanting to buy private insurance under the auspices that it could eventually pave the way for further reform. On the other hand, Wisconsin’s Democrat senator, Tammy Baldwin, voted against it, as did every member of her party in the Senate. “The People of Wisconsin did not send me to Washington to take people’s health care away,” Baldwin said in a statement. “We should be working together to make things better, not worse.” Republicans want to roll back Obamacare in part because of the high prices they say constituents have struggled to pay as part of their health care premiums. Insurance providers can’t afford to pay the health costs of sick people without healthy people underwriting the cost by paying their premiums. Rolling back provisions of the program would result in cuts to Medicaid, hurting poorer Americans. Low-income people rely on Medicaid for health insurance funded by the federal and state government. If Medicaid is deeply cut, many will lose their health insurance—a contentious point for why Obamacare reforms are failing. Obamacare also allows young people to stay on their parent’s health insurance until they’re 26— something not included in replacement plans. Not enough younger, healthy people have signed up for Obamacare, however, causing strained insurance providers to try to alleviate the issue by increasing customer’s premium costs or dropping out of the Obamacare marketplace altogether. GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Republicans will begin to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan way to fix Obamacare’s flaws. Johnson said in a statement that he will hold hearings in the Homeland Security Committee he chairs in an effort to address healthcare issues.
comics
10 • Mail-Home Issue 2017
Found It
dailycardinal.com
By Sophia Silva graphics@dailycardinal.com
Today’s Sudoku
Today’s Crossword Puzzle 73 Seamstress DOWN 1 “The Rum ___ Tugger” (song from “Cats”) 2 In vitro items 3 Large cask that sounds heavy 4 Bypass the altar 5 Underworld figure 6 (As written) 7 Gentle touch 8 Gives off, as light 9 Some novels, now 10 In a grungy manner 11 Everyday couple 12 Editorialize 13 Barely warm 18 Plant you must keep planting 23 Protracted assault 24 Nymph of the mountains 25 Funny headline 26 Go inside 28 A tide
© Puzzles by Pappowcom
Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.
ACROSS 1 Carved Native American pole 6 Risk a ticket 11 Bon ___ (clever comment) 14 Thing attached to the soft palate 15 Metrical units 16 Jungle swinger 17 No couch potato, he 19 Puppy’s bite 20 ATM ID 21 ___ out (dress up) 22 “The Phantom Menace” boy
23 27 29 30 32 33 34 36 39 41 43 4 4 46 48
Unnamed person Without the peel Form 1040 recipient Solar-system centers Coaster Dusk, to Donne “Rich Girl” singers Hall & ___ Harsh cries Runs off at the mouth Permitted Dealer in 15-Across Fiat Helicopter blade Conditional word
49 51 52 53 56 58 59 60 61 62 68 69 70 71 72
Unit of pressure Arid Expert fighter pilot More like taffy Determines the meaning Belonging to that guy Dream Team’s land Convent resident -30Not a small task Alter ___ Cloth fold Woody vine Brewery unit Takes to heart
31 American lilies 35 Full 37 Nobel Prize category 38 Sights on sore eyes? 40 Bargelike boat 42 “Blue Moon” lyricist Hart 45 Be victorious 47 Does airplane maintenance 50 Used car deal, e.g. 53 One might be rosy or dimpled 54 Door part 55 Indian queen (Var.) 57 Like some record labels 63 Feeling blue 6 4 Frequently mispunctuated word 65 Where a sock may go? 66 United 67 Except
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College is...
or What People Tell You When You’re an Undergrad for Seven Years by Emma Allman
A buffer before you have to deal with “the real world” Three jobs and a full class load Vitally important to your future Somehow still a privilege not a right Easier than it used to be, so stop complaining Constructed by people who used to “have it hard” Too P.C. Not the place to talk about race, sex, or culture Pointless if you’re an English major Failing to teach people to write Pointless if you’re an arts major Failing to teach people to creatively solve problems Pointless if you’re a philosophy major Failing to teach students to think of the big picture A place to take risks, don’t be afraid of mistakes Hugely important, so don’t screw it up An opportunity to network for your career An opportunity for employers to get unpaid interns A good time to travel An unpaid internship and tuition of at least $10,488 a year A good time to start saving money An unpaid internship and tuition of at least $10,488 a year A good time to follow your passions An unpaid internship and tuition of at least $10,488 a year A place to make new interesting friends But don’t fall in with the wrong crowd A good time to figure what you want to do with your life Only supposed to last four years so hurry up and decide A good time to listen A good time to learn who, exactly, is worth listening to.
twentyfivepercentreported% by Eliza Weisberg
i want to hollow out the broken shards of myself that lurk behind my skin you scraped the insides of me with your dirty fingernails and then blamed me for bleeding. i was silent, choking on screaming words, but they made a demigod out of you. you weren’t hiding in the bushes waiting to jump out; and maybe that was your best disguise. a wolf dressed in sheep’s clothing but we still let you shear us into silence it’s been four years. there have been 4 others like you. —and they said that only odd numbers were unlucky But i’ll keep writing poems that have teeth —biting where it hurts because: “this is what happens when women speak their truth: We Can Slay Dragons” 1. quote from Lisa Bloom, Attorney for three Bill O’Reilly accusers
Cleopatra Girl
by Matthew Stokdyk My Cleopatra girl, who dies and dies again, with flesh as white as pearls, who under death will always strain. And who am I, your love, clown as fool as the rest, a raven to a dove, who yet is asp upon your breast?
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almanac The Almanac Poetry Corner
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Darling so it goes (ft. a shattered villanelle) by Eliza Weisberg
i like the ocean because of its rhythms there’s something about the tide that is comforting. like you, the ocean only knows how to love in waves there’s some days —oh honey somedays I’m over the moon shackled by your electricity, but i don’t mind then you kiss me and i’m on another planet then your eyes stop meeting mine your hand pulls away as you reach for another —i wish you listened more like you, the ocean only knows how to love in waves you’ve started a fire in me i pulse to the beat of you your lips taste like spring and i never want to stop waking up even if we were on another planet baby--i will always be able to find you the days when you don’t touch me are the worst and i tattoo your lies across my skin so that i can feel something even though those hurt the most you and the ocean only know how to love in waves all of my light lives in you you danced it away while you bit my neck some days baby i think this is it : i’ve found you in a whole universe of distractions i don’t remember myself without you but somedays i think you see right through me and i feel my insides melt and my mascara slide off my face i wish you didn’t only know how to love in waves
meditation
by Matthew Stokdyk the ethereal sounds again as i am crosslegged on the top bunk back leaned against the concrete wall painted white in the fifties, now an ivory cream. there is a bourdon in the back solid, firm, like the cheap mattress on which i am perched, freshman. and above it undulates a great many unplaceable sounds: a woman’s voice (not yours, though faint and trembling like when you first sang for me) not the wind but an echo of the wind and the sound i imagine stars make; and in the room, the sound of lake ice and fever. trying to meditate but really half-asleep never one for it before, but you brought a reality i couldn’t process in my endless processing, the spiraling that leads me wash my hands that leads me count the breaths count the lights in the rooms where i sit and scribble an A test but think only of what it is you’re feeling for him, in love with you and you with me and me with him and you with him and you with death and me with all of it.
Did you like these poems? Did they make you feel? Want to be featured in the next Almanac Poetry Corner? Have any stories or essays you want to share with the world? Send us submissions and pictures of cats at: almanac@dailycardinal.com
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KATIE SCHEIDT/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
The Associated Students of Madison, the university’s student government body, helps students find a place on campus while simultaneously helping resolve campus issues.
Student government helps students find a way to positively contribute to campus COURTNEY MORRISON AND YOGEV BEN-YITSCHAK guest columnists
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f your college application process was anything like ours, getting accepted into UW-Madison meant blasting Jump Around at full volume and committing as soon as possible. Upon signing that contract, we all became Badgers. Madison became our home, and our hearts began to skip beats at the thought of move-in day. Once we pulled up to our dorms, we realized our college experience was going to be challenged with a single predicament: how are we going to make a difference in a school of almost 40,000 students? UW-Madison is a campus packed with opportunities to get involved in. Revolutionary research, volunteering positions and great employment opportunities all make this school as amazing as it is. And let’s not forget, over 1,000 student organizations ranging from the Cheese Club to the American Marketing Association that focus on common interests, issues and identities come together every day to create positive differences. Many of these organizations are also cause for change: whether through politics, identities, social views, or personal beliefs, we all want to make UW-Madison, Wisconsin and our country as amazing as they can be. But change doesn’t come without effort. Often times, the issues that affect us the most are ignored, forgotten, or belittled. Part of our role, as students, is to actively fight for the things we believe in most; whether it’s college affordability, inclusivity, or ensuring more opportunities, we are in charge of our own futures and have to stand up for ourselves. For these exact reasons, the idea of “student government,” one shared-governance body to effectively represent all students, came about. But the power of student government fully depends on how active it is, and how many students participate in it. The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) is UW-Madison’s student government arm, ensuring students are heard in every decision the school makes. Through different grassroots
committees, shared governance boards, and student council, students involved in ASM can work on different campaigns and actually learn how to solve pressing issues, organize as a student body, and most importantly, make sure your voice is heard. In the past, ASM has helped ensure that low-income students have access to food through the Open Seat, that each student gets a bus pass, that UW-Madison stays inclusive and diverse, and that decisions made by the administration will include student voices in the process. Services like the Open Seat, the Student Activity Center and event funding for different student organization are all made available by the ASM student government. Not to mention that student government, as a whole, is a great way to get involved on campus to make connections, see the legislative process, and become more socially and politically aware. Any incoming student seeking a way to get involved on campus should definitely check out the Associated Students of Madison. There are countless ways to get involved, from initiating your own grassroots campaign, to serving on student services finance committee, to implementing environmentally friendly solutions to campus life. On Friday, Sept. 1, we will be having our annual kick off in the symphony room at Gordons, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. At the event, you’ll learn what ASM is, what it does, and how to get involved! Most of ASM’s leadership will be there to talk and answer questions about their positions, committees and ways to get involved. Aside from the grassroot committees, you can also learn about the internship program, the Open Seat, Student Services Finance Committee, Student Judiciary, paid positions and how to run for council! To learn more about ASM, come to the Fall Kick Off on September 1st, from 1-3 p.m. at the Gordon’s symphony room or contact us at outreach@asm.wisc.edu. Courtney is the Press Office Director of ASM and Yogev is the Outreach Director of ASM. What are your thoughts on the importance of student government? Do you or do you know someone who is actively involved in campus politics and administration? Please send any and all questions, comments and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
It's a dream of mine to work internationally someday.
I was unsure of the role that learning a foreign language would have in my college years, but when I heard about the UW-Madison Russian Flagship Program, I knew that it was perfect for me. Suzy M. Geological Engineering Geology and Geophysics
Discover what Russian can do for your future: www.russianflagship.wisc.edu/soar
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opinion
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Ready to make your mark on campus? Find what you love. MADELINE HEIM AND ANDREW BAHL management team
Maybe you’ve got no idea. But at this university, there’s no shortage of ways to hone your ll of us at The Daily existing interests and develop Cardinal want to be new ones. the first to welcome Take advantage of the you to your new home at unique opportunities that UW-Madison. come with being part of the It may seem scary now, campus community, whether but you will soon make this that’s attending a talk from campus your own. You’ll an inspiring artist, joining a have your favorite food carts protest or simply gathering on Library Mall, your pre- up your floormates and headferred study spot and the fla- ing out to explore the city. vor of Babcock ice cream you And when you need a insist on resource you o r d e r i n g— can count on, we sugknow that gest Mint you’ll find Chocolate our paper on Cookie or stands each We do it all here in 2142 Blue Moon Monday and Vilas Hall. O u r Thursday staff is here and online for you on every day at every step dailycardiof your camnal.com. pus jourFor even ney. From crucial news inves- more comprehensive coverage, tigations to the latest concert you can follow us on Twitter reviews to interviews with your and Instagram @dailycardinal favorite Badger athletes, we do and like us on Facebook. it all here in 2142 Vilas Hall. We also always want to We’ve called UW-Madison hear from you. Engage with home for 126 years and we’re your peers, use our stories to ready to do whatever it takes start important conversations to help you feel that same way. and tell us how to improve the Here at the Cardinal, our content we produce. passion is great journalism Your voice counts, and and holding administrators, it’s crucial to making the diselected officials and student course here more vibrant and leaders accountable to you, inclusive, whether that is in our readers. the pages of our newspaper or Your passion might in the halls of our campus. involve early mornings on We’re looking forward to Lake Mendota as part of the having you and your passions rowing team, long nights on campus in September, and writing legislation for our we’re confident that you’ll student government or count- find something that grounds less hours mastering march- you here. ing band footwork. Welcome to the University Maybe you know exact- of Wisconsin—we’re hoping ly where your passion lies. you’ll love it as much as we do.
A AMILEAH SUTLIFF/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Recent legal outcomes continue to reveal society’s systematic inability to believe survivors and trust women.
Campus sexual assault survivors deprived of the justice they deserve view Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage.
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wo sexual assaults reported at UW-Madison ended in injustice this month. Nathan Friar will serve eight years of probation for a second-degree sexual assault he was convicted of, and no jail time. Nicholas Ralston was found not guilty of third-degree sexual assault, despite sending a text stating, “...I sexually assaulted [the victim] last night…” It’s common for editorials or campaigns speaking out against sexual assault to open with statistics. The numbers often include, but are not limited to: every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Or only an estimated six out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. Perhaps they include that 63 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police or that the prevalence of false reporting is between 2 percent and 10 percent, that 91 percent of the survivors of rape and sexual assault are women, that more than one in four female undergraduates at UW-Madison were sexually assaulted during their time here. The hope, in the use of these statistics, is that we will be forced to confront a reality—an epidemic so widespread, a culture so sickening— and be moved by it. The hope is that the numbers will evoke logic and the logic will evoke empathy, until we eradicate the elements of our society that allow this devastating pattern to continue. However, there’s a time when we have to ask ourselves, is the cold reality of these statistics having an impact in a culture void of logic? The legal system as a whole repeatedly fails, favoring patriarchy over rational thought—these cases are no different. These two cases and the justice system at large in regard to sexual assault were not built on a basis of logic and empathy; they were built of a foundation of disproving the legitimacy of survivors. They were built on our
collective cultural inability to trust survivors, to trust women. In the course of a month, both cases—among an ongoing history of similar cases—provided gutwrenching answers to fundamental questions. In the case of Nathan Friar: How seriously do we take the crime of rape? How seriously do we punish it? In the case of Nicholas Ralston: Do we believe perpetrators? Or do we believe survivors? Friar’s defense—the one that presumably allowed him, a rapist, to walk free of jail time—was one built almost entirely on victimblaming, even in the aftermath of her assault. Even after the survivor attested to the immense degree of anxiety she experienced following the trauma, Friar’s attorney Brian Brophy countered that her “very active” presence on social media proved the survivor appeared to be doing “great.” Based on the lack of severity in Friar’s punishment, the ruling sympathized with a rapist’s lawyer’s interpretation of the survivor’s social media account more than sympathizing with the survivor herself. Despite all logic, they did not believe the survivor. Although they did find Friar guilty of sexual assault, the jury cleared his strangulation charges under the argument that the marks on her neck could potentially be hickies instead of bruises. This was after the survivor’s report that Friar had strangled her. Again, despite all logic, they did not believe the survivor. Ralston’s defense—the one that let him walk away without consequence—was founded solely on a premise of not trusting the survivor. Even after a clear confession via text message, the jury chose to believe Ralston’s claim that his own confession was wrong, stating the survivor falsely convinced him that he had assaulted her. Despite all
logic and a clear confession, they did not believe the survivor. When Ralston’s attorney Adam Welch claimed his client’s confession was a product of the survivor’s manipulation, he argued: “Nick trusted [the survivor] and believed her ... That’s not a confession. It’s good character.” There’s a glaring double standard and a stomach-turning irony in Welch’s statement. If trusting and believing a survivor was an emblem of good character, it most certainly did not appear among the jury by the same standards the jury applied it to Ralston. How many more women will it take? How many bodies violated? How many more survivors traumatized? How many more people waking up at night in a cold sweat for the rest of their lives? What will it take until we finally believe survivors? It’s “good character” to believe survivors, after all. To survivors: We believe you. The justice system and the society that upholds it may not support you, but there are people who do. Do whatever it takes to care for yourself. Your selfpreservation alone is radical in a system that fails to preserve you. To advocates facing a void of logic and empathy at every turn: Do not let your voice shake as you continue to scream directly into said void. Remember the statistics, even when it feels pointless. Steer clear of apathy and keep speaking out against a system that fails time and time again, even when it feels like an impossible battle on all accounts. We hope that logic and empathy will win over all; most of us believe it will. What the outcomes of these crimes that happened on our campus prove—what the outcomes of too many sexual assault cases prove—is that, in the case of sexual assault, empathy and logic do not matter. When it comes to believing the survivor, empathy and logic do not matter. So we’ll keep fighting until the day that they do. Cardinal View editorials represent The Daily Cardinal’s organizational opinion. Each editorial is crafted independent of news coverage. Please send all comments, questions and concerns to editorialboard@dailycardinal.com.
BEN GOLDEN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
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Mail-Home Issue 2017
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Football
Cichy out of ‘dark place,’ ready to shine By Lorin Cox THE DAILY CARDINAL
Last year, Jack Cichy tried to play football with one arm. In the second half of the Wisconsin Badgers’ Week 8 game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the now redshirt senior linebacker roamed around the middle of the defense while unable to get any sort of contribution from his left arm. He still found a way to help his team, somehow making a tackle early in the fourth quarter on Iowa running back Akrum Wadley, perhaps a little bit of revenge for the play two quarters earlier that would ultimately end Cichy’s season. “They threw a flare out to the running back,” Cichy said at Big Ten Media Days. “I reached out with my arm, went to grab him, and we kind of just had opposite momentum, where it just torqued it, and I felt it pop right off.” “I went into shock right away, so it wasn’t that much pain right away, but in the second half and on the bus ride home, the pain definitely set in.” He tore his left pectoral with 0:05 showing on the clock in the second quarter. He went into halftime knowing something was wrong, with the pain starting to set in. But that wasn’t going to keep him from getting back on the field. Cichy played in 20 of his defense’s 29 snaps in the second half, with only one working arm. “I selfishly didn’t want to
come out,” Cichy said. “It got me in trouble in that game because I was a liability at times, which is tough to accept, especially when you’re out there on the field. No matter what hurts, you feel like, ‘I can go. I can help the guys.’” Two days later, doctors reattached his pec to the bones they had torn off of, and Cichy’s season was done. He was halfway through a breakout year, leading his team in tackles up to that point in the season with NFL whispers starting to get louder. Everything, though, came to a screeching halt. “So the first week was really tough, and I really wasn’t really in it,” Cichy said. “I was really down in the dumps, a pretty dark place.” “I kind of fell in that trap of the victim mentality, and, ‘Oh woe is me. I got hurt. This awesome season is cut short.’” As Cichy struggled through this difficult time of his life, he turned to the support system that was there for him long before he ever stepped foot into Camp Randall Stadium. He talked with his father Steve Cichy regularly in the days and weeks following his injury. Steve knew what his son was going through, having played football collegiately for Notre Dame before a stint in the Canadian Football League. “My dad is a unique cat,” the Wisconsin linebacker said. “He’s very … I wouldn’t say nonchalant, but he really focuses on what he can control, and being
able to have that type of mindset has done wonders for me.” “If you take responsibility as much as you can, and if you’re not really dwelling on the things you can’t control, then your life will be a lot better. I think that’s one thing that really helped me through rehab.” After a week of feeling sorry for himself, Cichy snapped out of it. He was never one to let anything or anyone hold him back. He wasn’t raised that way. He just first needed to come to terms with his injury to bring back the smiling face that his coaches and teammates grew to expect. “From a guy who was such a high energy guy, to kind of just shoulders down, it’s tough to see,” redshirt junior linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “But the very next week, he was already with a headset on and ready to go like he was playing the next week. That’s kind of how he is.” Cichy and fellow injured inside linebacker Chris Orr quickly became coaches on the sideline, communicating what they saw to their teammates taking their places on the field. With their help, redshirt junior Ryan Connelly started to blossom next to Edwards in the middle of the defense, making a number of key tackles in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Cotton Bowl. “We didn’t lose Jack. The team didn’t lose Jack. He was still around. He was at practice,” head
Cichy page 15
BRANDON MOE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Linebacker Jack Cichy suffered an injury to his left arm during the previous Badger football season, but returns to the team this year.
sports Mail-Home Issue 2017
Cichy from page 14 coach Paul Chryst said. “He was still a funny guy and a good guy and a teammate that cared. It’s not like just because he’s not playing, his life ended.” The months that followed in Cichy’s rehab were a time of personal growth. The former walk-on was forced to slow things down and make sure his body was coming along the right way before he could get back on the field and play the sport he loved. “I learned a lot as far as football goes, but I learned a lot about myself.” Cichy said. “ I wouldn’t say I took things for granted before, but I don’t know if I fully appreciated them while they were there.”
“He was still a funny guy and a good guy and a teammate that cared. It’s not like just because he’s not playing, his life ended.” Paul Chryst head coach UW football
“I don’t know if I’ll ever complain about being tired again, because I’d rather be winded than be sitting in a sling on the sideline.” Before long, the sling came off, and Cichy was able to pick up where he left off. His coaching staff didn’t let him go full contact during the spring, but he is fullgo for fall training camp and the regular season. Now, more than nine months
7 8.6
Tackles per game, most on the team
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removed from surgery, his left pectoral is actually stronger than ever, and Cichy is at his physical peak.
“I’d rather be winded than be sitting in a sling on the sideline.”
Jack Cichy linebacker UW football
“I’m probably the best I’ve ever been, just all-around, and then I hit a [personal record] on bench [press] this summer, 345 [pounds], which is a 10-pound increase from last summer,” Cichy said. “I obviously took a little setback with the injury, but I feel like I’ve definitely progressed as a whole, throughout the summer.” He returns to a Badgers inside linebacker group that is by far the deepest position on the roster, and maybe the most talented corps in the Big Ten. Cichy, Edwards, Orr and Connelly all played at a high level with starting experience, and new inside linebackers coach Bob Bostad is going to have a difficult time trying to find playing time for all his talented players. “Being able to compete with each other day-in and day-out, that’s going to really elevate our play—and it has to,” Cichy said. “If it doesn’t elevate someone’s play, then they’re going to get left in the dust. It’s a harsh reality, but if we want Wisconsin to be the best it can be, then we’re going to have to be the best that we can be.”
Jack Cichy 2016 Stats Games played, down from 12 in 2015
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Forced fumbles, up from 0 in 2015
7.0
Tackles for loss, third-best on the team
EMILY BUCK/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
KAITLYN VETO/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
THOMAS YONASH/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
JESSI SCHOVILLE/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
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