Thursday, September 14, 2023

REVOLUTION BREWING IN A COFFEE CUP

+ OPINION, PAGE 5

STUDENTS TACKLE THE IRONMAN

Student triathletes balance the rigor of work and school with grueling Ironman training.

+ NEWS, PAGE 3

Graduate workers meet to organize for more pay, respect Sister Cindy to visit Madison

By Anna Kleiber and Ian Wilder STAFF WRITERS

Sister Cindy, a TikTok-famous evangelical street preacher, will visit Madison next Tuesday as part of her “Ho No Mo” campaign.

Cindy Smock, better known as “Sister Cindy” to her social media followers, announced in a TikTok last week that she would be visiting several Wisconsin college campuses, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Get ready Wisconsin,” Smock said via TikTok, strongly emphasizing the “sin” in the state’s name.

“It is time to be a Ho No Mo because hell is hot. You don’t want to be a thot,” she added.

The so-called “Ho No Mo revolution” is part of Smock’s nationwide campaign traveling to college campuses preaching exuberantly from her Bible, which bears “Ho No Mo” lettering prominently on the front.

By Noa Chamberlin STAFF WRITER

University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate students and workers met Tuesday evening to lay out this year’s goals for graduate student labor organization Workers Strike Back amid its ongoing fighting for a livable salary.

WSB describes itself as an “independent, rank-and-file campaign organizing against the bosses and their political servants.” WSB launched their Madison chapter in March 2023.

Graduate students “launched this campaign to capitalize on the very evident increase in the labor movement across the states,” WSB Organizing Committee (OC) member Calista Hoyt said.

“We linked up with a bunch of us that were at that meeting [in March],” Hoyt said. “We realized that there’s this energy for struggle happening across campus, here with grad students but also across the country.”

OC member Robin FlowersMorgenstern explained that WSB’s UW-Madison chapter is a caucus of the Teaching Assistant’s Association (TAA), the union for graduate students employed at the university.

Flowers-Morgenstern outlined WSB’s commitment to pushing the TAA toward a serious campaign that will work with the National Labor Relations Board to create a positive impact on graduate students’ lives.

Their demands include raising graduate assistants’ annual stipend to $50,000 from its current average of around $23,000.

“We need to reframe the narrative,” Flowers-Morgenstern said. “It shouldn’t matter what the university thinks of our demands. What matters is that graduate students need to be making $50,000, and the school can afford to pay us.”

While WSB encourages its members to become involved in the TAA, members also said they hope to increase the percentage of their dues that stay with the local TAA. The local union gets 20% of their dues money, while the remaining 80% goes to “parent unions” American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin and its national affiliate, according to Flowers-Morgenstern.

Under Act 10, a 2011 Wisconsin law that severely limited public employees’ ability to engage in organized labor, graduate workers are only able to be paid at a set rate.

Neither TAA nor WSB have collectively bargained a contract regarding a stipend since Act 10 was passed, and the TAA has not been union certified since 2012.

“The issue with Act 10 is that we as public employees can never make a raise. The amount that we can get paid can only increase with inflation,” said August EastonCalabria, an OC member and graduate research assistant. “[It’s a law] specifically designed to impoverish public-sector workers [and break the power of the labor movement].”

To begin collective bargaining, and hold UW-Madison to a legal union contract, the TAA would need 51% of graduate students to vote to recertify the union.

More than 5,000 graduate stu-

dents need to be involved in order to reach the 51% needed to obtain a legal contract. Right now, only 5% of graduate students are members of the TAA and even less are active members, according to Flowers-Morgenstern.

“This is what it will take to build a fighting union that can win our core demands,” FlowersMorgenstern said.

According to the WSB website, many graduate workers’ issues stem from the fact that universities like those in the UW System run similarly to a corporation, with businessoriented goals in mind.

“UW-Madison is sitting on billions, and instead of giving their workers a living wage, they invest into real estate, the stock market and new startups,” WSB states on their website.

“To be subsisting on a [$33,000]34,000 stipend, pre-tax, is virtually impossible,” said Hoyt, who lives on two salaries with her partner but has witnessed friends having to resort to eating at food banks and struggling to make rent.

Graduate students are currently fighting to finish their degrees. Easton-Calabria shared that he experienced moments where he felt like giving up because of a lack of funding.

“There’s no alternative,” said Easton-Calabria. “We’re in a moment where grad student organizing is happening in really positive ways across the country, and it’s past time already.”

Along with graduate students, some undergraduates attended the

meeting, which the OC said is an important step towards victory.

“Gaining support from undergrads and the general public will also be crucial to the success of our campaign,” said FlowersMorgenstern. “When grad students are paid a living wage and respected as workers, we can provide a better education to undergrads.”

Hoyt said it’s “obvious” that graduate students deserve to be paid more, something others in attendance agreed with.

“It’s not just about the money, it’s about respect,” Chris Andolina, another WSB OC member, said as he concluded the meeting. “The money is what materially means a lot to us, as it should, but it’s the respect that we deserve from these institutions that we are really striving for.”

If the campaign for a $50,000 stipend succeeds, WSB members shared their dream for the future would be to change the game for public-sector workers in Wisconsin. They hope to bring recognition back to the public’s mind and revisit Act 10, stating that “students deserve better.”

The WSB movement is still in its initial stages in Madison — but those who are involved have hope for the future.

“This movement is a vehicle forward toward real material gains for grad students,” Easton-Calabria said. “Inflation has been skyrocketing in Madison, and it’s gotten a lot harder for me to pay rent.”

“I’m really excited to see grad students stand up and fight back,” Easton-Calabria added.

Smock gained notoriety on TikTok for profane and provocative campus visits. TikTok contributed greatly to her rise to popularity after campus students posted videos to the #sistercindy hashtag. She currently has over 420,000 followers on the platform.

Smock has repudiated claims of homophobia, calling herself a “gay icon” and saying “Jesus loves everyone” at a 2019 visit to Florida State University.

But some college students, including those at her alma mater, the University of Florida, have criticized her conservative views about sex and accused the preacher of homophobia, transphobia and racism. Some students also voiced concerns about her widespread support from audiences, whether earnestly or ironically.

Smock has dedicated her life to spreading evangelical messaging and strongly encourages students to avoid alcohol, drugs and sex.

Smock said she lived an “empty” life when she was a college student but eventually transformed into an advocate against her prior actions.

“A student did not have to look very far to get involved in sin at the University of Florida,” Smock said at one campus talk.

“Sex, sex and more sex,” she said when she spoke at Louisiana State University back in March 2023. “That’s all I knew… I was a ho, on God.”

Smock did not immediately respond to an inquiry for the exact time or location of the visit.

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

COURTESY OF LUKE ECKENROD

How Starbucks hurts their own, told through conversations with unionized baristas.

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Doctor of Pharmacy admission program addresses shortages

By Natasha Hicks STAFF WRITER

The University of WisconsinMadison School of Pharmacy launched a program last month that guarantees admission to UW-Madison’s Doctoral Pharmacy Program for future students who meet certain conditions.

The school’s new Early Assurance Program allows first-year students and high school students accepted or enrolled at four-year UW System campuses to apply for guaranteed admission to the UW-Madison Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program after meeting certain conditions.

Pharmacist shortages and burnouts have led to closures and long hours at many Wisconsin pharmacies — particularly in rural areas — which are desperate for additional staff. The PharmD program aims to combat that shortage.

“[The program] gives the students an opportunity to have their spots saved here at the School of Pharmacy and be a part of this pharmacy community,” said Jeremy Altschafl, assistant dean of PharmD admissions.

The Early Assurance Program is a pathway designed for students

interested in pharmacy to finish the prerequisite coursework at any UW System campus offering a bachelor’s degree with a guaranteed spot at the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy. Students must maintain program requirements including a demonstrated goal of becoming a pharmacist and an undergraduate grade point average of 3.2 or above to maintain eligibility.

Altschafl emphasized that the flexibility of campus choice allows students to complete pre-pharmacy coursework or eventually practice pharmacy closer to their current homes and communities.

“[The program] gives them confidence they can still be part of their community, even if they do come to UW-Madison, because they can go back home,” Altschafl told The Daily Cardinal.

The PharmD program is a fouryear pharmacy professional program and the only publicly funded doctoral pharmacy program in Wisconsin.

The doctoral program includes “three years of didactic coursework” but largely has students working in the field during their fourth year, according to Emily Phillips, a second-year

PharmD student.

“You are [a student pharmacist] in the community learning from a practicing pharmacist,” Phillips said.

There are many tracks to pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. And while the Early Assurance Program only takes applicants from senior year of high school to first semester freshmen, it’s not the only way to be a PharmD student at UW-Madison.

Altchafl said there are still opportunities for those who discover they want to pursue pharmacy later on.

“This is not the only pathway to our pharmacy program. We have a

traditional admissions process as well,” he said.

Phillips spoke highly of the school — which houses one of the top pharmacy programs nationwide — as well as the professional and educational opportunities it offers.

“I really love being at the pharmacy school. The faculty is so amazing at UW, and the integration of the pharmacy within the health systems in Madison is just amazing,” she said. “We have the opportunity to learn from practicing pharmacists. And the curriculum is one of the best in the nation. So I’m really enjoying my time.”

Republican-controlled Assembly passes tax cut proposal, prompts controversy

By Anna Kleiber STAFF WRITER

A GOP-backed tax cut bill passed the Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday along party lines amid a looming veto from Gov. Tony Evers.

The bill would lower individual income tax rates for Wisconsinites in the state’s third income tax bracket and increase and expand the retirement income subtraction for senior citizens within the state.

Republicans reintroduced a proposed income tax cut in late August that would drop income taxes from 5.3% to 4.4% for single-income households making between $27,630 and $304,170 and joint filers making between $36,840 and $405,550.

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Republicans estimate their proposed tax rate would save middle-class filers $700 to $800 in annual income taxes. However, a nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) analysis of a similar plan in July indicates the amount saved per filer would be hundreds of dollars more for filers making six figures than those with incomes at the lower end of Wisconsin’s middle-class income tax bracket.

“There’s no reason for this to not be a bipartisan bill,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said. “Now we get to actually put our money where our mouth is.”

Other Republicans echoed Vos’ call for a middle class and senior citizen tax relief plan.

“We passed a $99 billion dollar budget. That’s a big budget,” Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, said on the Assembly floor Tuesday. “This money should go back to those in your community when you go to the grocery store next, and you can tell people you made a difference in their pocketbook.”

However, Democrats who opposed Thursday’s bill said the average tax cut Republicans floated is misleading. Evers, a Democrat, previously called the tax plan “fiscally irresponsible” and promised to veto it, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.

Rep. Sue Conley, D-Janesville, said that no constituent told her “we need income tax cuts,” because Wisconsinites have other ideas on how to utilize the surplus including using “funds to bolster childcare.”

Conley pointed out that filers would have to earn more than $100,000 to get the estimated $700 in tax relief under the GOP plan. Over 60% of all filers in Wisconsin earn less than $100,000 annually and would receive 30% of this estimated tax decrease, she added.

Evers vetoed a similar proposed income tax cut for Wisconsin’s two highest tax brackets in the state budget, but said he would be open to reconsidering the proposed tax cut if Republicans agreed to look at funding his child care plan and the University of Wisconsin System, among other priorities, according to the Associated Press.

Republicans in response criticized Evers for reducing their proposed tax cut to $36 per filer, down from the $573

per filer average in their nowvetoed plan.

However, the average tax cut varied greatly by income under Republicans’ initial plan in the LFB analysis from July. Wisconsin filers making under $100,000 would have received less than 20% of the tax cuts, while those making over $100,000 would have received over 80% of the tax cuts.

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee discussed a Republican-backed bill on a taxfree childcare reimbursement for parents last week as well as the income tax relief bill brought to the Assembly floor Tuesday. The tax bill is now on its way to the Senate. The Assembly does not have enough Republican votes to override a veto, if Evers delivers on his promise to veto the bill.

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The program, which launched Aug. 29, allows first-year UW students and eligible high schoolers to apply for guaranteed admission to the four-year program at Madison.

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Students tackle the half and full Ironman in Madison

How do student triathletes balance the rigor of work and school with Ironman training?

By Ava Wojnowski STAFF WRITER

Several University of Wisconsin-Madison students participated in the half and full Ironman this weekend, taking on training with a myriad of other responsibilities.

An Ironman triathlon consists of a two mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run. There are about 150 Ironman races that take place all over the globe, and Madison happens to be one of the cities to hold one.

This year’s event in Madison had 1,360 participants in the half Ironman and 1,253 participants in the full Ironman.

For many, tackling an Ironman alone can be a large

time commitment. Training for this race can become quite burdensome for students, who simultaneously juggle work and school commitments.

Senior Zach Spears explained the difficulty of balancing work with his athletics. While it took time to learn how to juggle it all, he emphasized the lessons he learned when it came to time management skills.

“[I] definitely got a lot better at time management,” Spears said. “Sometimes it has been a lot. I would say overall I probably haven’t been able to do as much training as I would have liked to.”

Spears completed the Ironman alongside his roommate and friend Ryan Mares,

another senior at UW-Madison. Together, they completed the race in 13 hours and 28 minutes. Mares and Spears said they had similar reasons for competing in the Ironman.

“I’ve been running forever, but a year ago I was in a spot where I had fallen out of love with it,” Mares said. “Watching the Ironman last year was incredibly inspirational. It looked like the final frontier of endurance sports — a final mountain for me to climb to reach closure on the current chapter of my fitness journey.”

Spears explained how training for the Ironman was a way to add variety to his already rigorous running training.

“I was getting a little burnt out from running, hadn’t had the best streak of races and wanted to try something new where you could see improvement,” Spears said. “I always wanted to do what they consider ultra races. At that point I was looking at doing a 50k run and thought an Ironman would be up there and would be a cool life experience.”

For Mares, managing all of his facets of life and Ironman training meant getting his day started with training first thing in the morning.

“Getting all the training while also dealing with work and school meant a lot of early mornings,” Mares said. “If I woke up early and did a quality workout in the morning, it felt like I had gotten the hard part of my day done. I could tell myself the rest of it was going to be a breeze.”

Sarah Dehnel, another Ironman competitor, steadily balanced graduate school and her Ironman training. Her training was not unfamiliar as she had already completed the half Ironman last year.

“I started training in March of this year,” Dehnel said. “I did 9 workout sessions a week including a long run and a long bike [ride] each week. After doing the half Ironman last year, I wanted to challenge myself to complete the full.”

She explained how her experience with a half Ironman paid off as she ended up doing substantially better in the full than she had anticipated. She finished in 13 hours and 5 minutes.

“The race went amazing!” Dehnel said. “I finished about an hour quicker than I expected. I felt really good and optimistic through the swim and the first half of the bike ride, but around mile 60 I started to get tired. The last 40 miles of the bike were especially hard mentally, but once I got off the bike I knew I could finish. The run was amazing too. I experienced some knee pain in the last ten miles, but nothing too extreme.”

Sophomore A.J. Hemink

explained how he, like many others, used the half Ironman as a stepping stone toward a full Ironman.

“Doing an Ironman 140.6 has been on my bucket list since I was six or so, and starting with the 70.3 felt like a good step towards it,” Hemink said. “I also had a lot of support from family and friends, which helped me get through some of the tougher parts of my training.”

Hemink explained that he had never attempted anything like this and knew that starting with the half Ironman would be more beneficial for his final goal of one day doing the full Ironman.

“I did a sprint triathlon this summer in June, and that was

the first triathlon I had ever done,” Hemink said. “I have been interested in endurance sports since high school and currently ski on the Hoofers Nordic Ski Club. But nothing I have ever done has come close to this race.”

For many, the support people receive from the Madison community is something that makes doing this race so worthwhile.

“Getting to run down State Street was really cool … The spectators were amazing,” Spears said. “Then we finished and it was in the dark. It was super cool and decently emotional. We were super tired, but all of our friends were there, which made it feel so special.”

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Madison takes steps to raise height limits, allow more housing

By Hannah Angsten STAFF WRITER

The Madison Plan Commission on Thursday discussed an update to the city’s Comprehensive Plan to increase building height limits and allow for the construction of more housing units.

As part of the Plan Commission’s interim update to the Comprehensive Plan — created in 2018 to outline recommendations for future decisions and investments made by the city — the commission discussed changes to the Generalized Future Land Use Map (GFLU), which categorizes each parcel of land according to building use and size restrictions.

The commission discussed proposals from Common Council members to increase the height limits throughout the city as part of efforts to facilitate more housing construction amid Madison’s housing shortage.

Many residential areas in Madison are currently designated low or medium density, which strictly limits the number of stories that can be built. Affordable housing advocates in response pushed for increased building height limits to accommodate more housing.

The commission received 81 proposed amendments from the public prior to Thursday’s meeting, most of which called for upgraded density in their neighborhoods.

The Common Council in March made a significant move toward this goal by passing legislation that allows developers to add stories to their buildings if at least half the space is used for affordable housing.

However, District 8 Ald. MGR Govindarajan said this step won’t make a great difference unless the council changes zoning in the area around the Capitol from medium

to high residential density on the GFLU map.

“The higher density residential we have around campus, the more units we can build together and more people we can house,” Govindarajan said.

Govindarajan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student and the representative for most of the area surrounding campus, responded to students’ calls for more housing by requesting the maximum amount of building height increases for every land parcel in District 8 not owned by UW-Madison.

“I am committed to building as much housing as possible, and to do that, it requires us to get rid of lowlevel height restrictions,” he said.

Govindarajan said much of the support for increasing the city’s housing supply comes from students.

Govindarajan and District 2 Ald. Juliana Bennett surveyed around 1,700 UW-Madison students in July about their experiences searching for housing off campus. Students overwhelmingly expressed frustration with the affordability of Madison’s housing market and many wanted to see more housing built in the city, Govindarajan said. ”That’s a level of engagement that we have not seen in the city in a very long time,” he said.

Some Madison residents expressed similar sentiments during the Thursday meeting, claim-

ing that the growing Madison population cannot be accommodated under current restrictions on housing development.

“If we continue to limit what can be built on most of the land in Madison, we will only continue the creep of high rises into neighborhoods or the exodus of home buyers into neighboring cities,” said resident Josh Olson.

Ronald Trachtenberg, a local property owner, said upgrading the city’s density levels “is extremely important if we are to maintain a buyable, diverse city.”

But other residents opposed the discussed changes, citing concern that current residents could be displaced by new housing projects.

“In time, zoning changes and cognizant redevelopment can threaten the residents of these areas with displacement and homelessness,” said resident Robert Klebba.

The Plan Commission will take public comments into account as it looks to finalize the update to the Comprehensive Plan later this year.

The plan as a whole will not be reviewed again until 2028, making this interim update crucial in addressing the many concerns that Madison residents have concerning the current zoning of the city, according to Govindarajan.

Students and Madison communitymemberscansubmitcomments regarding height restrictions to pccomments@cityofmadison.com.

How UW-Madison’s Allen Centennial Garden is managing Wisconsin’s deepening drought

By Jasper Bernstein ASSOCIATES EDITOR

Wisconsin is experiencing a deepening drought as summer comes to an end. According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, 4.2 million Wisconsin residents now live in areas of drought, up 5.4% since last week. And as drought intensifies, so do the effects on crops and agriculture.

The drought conditions are currently affecting the southwest corner of Wisconsin and are expected to persist through the next three months. All of Dane County is experiencing drought, with over 95% of the population residing in areas classified as severe drought and the rest residing in areas classified as extreme drought.

“We have not been able to keep new plantings sufficiently watered,” explained Isaac Zaman, a horticulturalist at the University of WisconsinMadison’s Allen Centennial Garden. “We have to be in there almost every other day with how behind we’ve been with the rainfall.”

Although rain in northern Wisconsin helped relieve some drought conditions, most of the state

remained dry during the first full week of September, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Crop Progress & Condition report.

These conditions have further worsened crop conditions, Zaman said.

“When it comes down to trees and shrubs, I’ve actually started planting things that can handle [less water],” Zaman added. “I’m most worried about [larger trees, hedges and shrubs] that help keep our city cool, because they are the ones that are really suffering a lot this year and not getting much attention.”

This lack of rainfall may cause an issue for some crops, but not those with weaker root systems that Zaman said are meticulously maintained by farmers.

“Corn [and other crops are] so closely managed by a lot of our farmers that it’s not that much of a concern,” Zaman said. “Our farmers are going to be facing it with a lot of watering.”

As of 2022, Wisconsin had approximately 14.2 million acres of farmland managed by over 64,000 farms.

“We have a lot of resources, we have a lot of nutrients, we have a lot of water that’s available to us,” Zaman explained. “I think Wisconsin is going to be more okay than other places with agriculture.”

Still, as climate change intensifies,

droughts are expected to be more “frequent, longer and more severe.”

“The evidence is clear. Without a question, [climate change] is the cause,” Zaman said. “There’s quite a bit of information out there about the amount of carbon we’re see-

ing in our atmosphere and the direct correlation that there has been with all of the other effects like the drought this year, the dry winters, the extreme temperature changes. All of these things play together.”

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The revolution brewing in a coffee cup: Conversations with Starbucks strikers

By Owen Puckett STAFF WRITER

On my second day of class, I found myself walking past the Starbucks on State Street. However, it wasn’t the enticing aroma of coffee that drew me but the scores of baristas rallying around the front door. They were armed with signs and powerful stories of working early mornings and long afternoons for a company working to restrict their healthcare and leaving them consistently understaffed.

Starbucks is one of State Street’s most popular businesses and the busiest Starbucks in Wisconsin. Every morning, a line of weary coffee seekers seeps out the door as students flock to open tables to study for exams.

Beneath this facade is a corporation committed to their bottom line above all else.

Starbucks had eight to ten employees working at the State Street location’s espresso bar at this time last year. Now? They’re lucky to get four.

Despite serving a high volume of customers that often exceeds 150 transactions within 30 minutes, these employees found themselves working with only a handful of colleagues.

This staffing shortage translates into increased workloads, diminished breaks and compromised customer experiences. The pressure of rushing to maintain customer service metrics, like mobile order wait times, often left little time for training new employees and other essential tasks.

Additionally, State Street workers recount stories that reflect blatant corporate opposition to unionization

By Madeline Heuler STAFF WRITER

When going out to restaurants, your local coffee shop, the nail salon or even the occasional shoe buff at the airport, the question must be asked: Is there a universal tipping standard that fits all types of labor?

The typical American would answer that 20% percent is a standard yet generous amount to tip. But after a recent trip to Spain in July, my mom and I quickly noticed the lack of a line on the bill to add restaurant tips. After a few experiences of us leaving bills on the table, friendly patrons informed us that tips are not required, and when added, even overly generous.

The answer to why America still requires tips in most labor professions is simple: labor jobs don’t pay even close to livable wages.

If you are an American, you know and live this. Tipping started in the 1960s as an opportunity for employers to pay their workers below minimum wage if tips remained mandatory. So began a long tradition in the United States for labor workers to rely predominantly on tips.

As an individual with several friends in the food industry, paychecks at the end of the week are often under $100 because of the low hourly wage and heavy government taxation. Tips are essential to making any profit.

Yet, after a few weeks in Spain, my mom and I quickly realized the luxury

within Starbucks, a claim reinforced by multiple federal rulings against the company involving unlawful employee terminations.

Trapped in a web of systemic misconduct, the coffee behemoth has indeed found itself on a precarious ledge, exacerbated by the fact that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued over 80 complaints against Starbucks for violating federal workers’ rights laws.

These actions, including managerial surveillance, coercive questioning and intimidation tactics, impede workers’ freedom to organize and advocate for better working conditions.

According to the NLRB’s website, supervisors and managers cannot spy on workers or even appear to do so, coercively question workers, threaten or bribe workers regarding union activities of your co-workers. You can’t be fired, disciplined, demoted or penalized in any way for engaging in union activities.

The reality portrayed by the State Street employees tells a different tale.

According to one of the employees I spoke with, their general manager (GM) was rarely seen within the store, making an appearance only about once a month.

But following the vote to unionize, a stark change swept over. The once absent GM started frequenting the store. In an attempt to adhere to Starbucks’ so-called “Standard of Wisconsin Excellence,” the GM took matters into their own hands, stripping the store of its Pride flags and a much-loved Starbucks mug wall.

Uneasiness set in, turning coffee stories a little more bitter. The striking workers voiced their demand for a fair living wage, emphasizing that

To qualify for healthcare benefits at Starbucks, workers must average 20 hours per week, a benchmark that management has allegedly

are simple — functioning ice machines and sharps kits in the bathroom to address clogged toilets and growing safety concerns.

The latent force of unionized labor is evident in their eyes, their words echoing the promise of shifting power dynamics, transparent conversations and accountable management. It’s their resilience against the backdrop of worn-out interactions that accentuates the importance of collective action.

In hindsight, the tempest in our coffee cups is impossible to ignore. The Madison State Street Starbucks strike is a melting pot of unserved justice, overlooked duties and untapped potential.

every worker deserves dignity and adequate compensation for their labor. While Starbucks’ starting wage is $15 per hour, they argue that a true living wage in Wisconsin is closer to $22.

Other companies in the state and other companies on State Street have recognized this and offer higher starting wages, further highlighting Starbucks’ reluctance to prioritize employee well-being. By offering stable hours and decent pay, Starbucks could attract and retain a motivated and dedicated workforce.

As the baristas stir the topic, signs of a richer and stronger debate are simmering underneath the surface. My conversations then took a turn toward the important facet of health and safety.

manipulated by cutting workers’ hours below the threshold.

The sardonic humor traced in the workers’ voices is hard to miss as they narrate the catch-22 of Starbucks’ healthcare policy. Hover under the 20-hour average, and you have no healthcare coverage. Exceed it, and you lose hours.

Access to healthcare is a fundamental right, and a company as prosperous as Starbucks has the resources to ensure that its workers can access affordable and comprehensive healthcare.

Workers’ elocution continues to unveil a stage littered with substandard conditions, with employees pointing out the need for better maintenance and resources. And their asks

The echo of striking workers is a potent call for corporations to underscore social and economic justice, much beyond pedaling it as a selling point. When these requirements are served, Starbucks, and similar corporations, can foster a workspace that genuinely values its employees.

Until then, our coffee stories will continue to be grounded in the realities of labor struggles, serving as stark reminders of the work yet to be done. Together, let’s stand with the workers to amplify their voices as they demand rights and challenge the status quo. May our conversations brew the change we wish to see.

Owen Puckett is a staff writer and a junior studying political science.

Do you agree Starbucks’ labor practices are unfair? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com

of not adding a tip at the night’s end. Instead, a service charge is pre-emptively included into the bill, and a tip could look like a few coins dispatched on the table.

And lately, tips in the United States don’t seem to be going away, but only increasing. In fact, the increase in digital tipping options at checkouts rose from 43.4% to 74.5% from 2020 to 2023. This is specifically being felt in larger American cities.

The company Square, known for providing electronic payment screens at coffee shops and restaurants, reportedly gets a cut of each transaction, including tips. Therefore the implementation of software encourages Americans to tip more and generously, while simultaneously benefiting companies such as Square.

If America — or more specifically, Wisconsin — implemented payable wages, better standards of living for most Americans and the dissipation of tips would follow.

Gratuity, or tipping, is a voluntary action beyond obligation, typically for some form of service. To be a good patron, what’s traditionally implemented as a service to show appreciation toward service jobs is now required in America.

To show labor positions deserve true generosity and respect, livable wages from the top down remain essential to improve the living standards and overall profession of labor workers in America.

LAUREN AGUILA/ THE DAILY CARDINAL

Column: Badger fans must be patient despite another Washington State loss

By Dylan Goldman STAFF WRITER

No. 1 Badgers sweep Miami Hurricanes in another home win

By Dylan Goldman STAFF WRITER

The No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers women’s volleyball team continued their undefeated start to the season Friday night with a dominant 3-0 victory against the Miami Hurricanes at the University of Wisconsin Field House.

The Hurricanes, who entered the match 4-1, figured to provide a stiffer test than Arizona did on Thursday. But Miami was no match for the Badgers on Friday.

The first set started out competitive but didn’t stay that way for long. Wisconsin took a 5-4 lead and seized complete control of the game from there. Their lead grew to as large as 23-10, and the rest of the set was a mere formality as the Badgers went on to win 25-11.

The second set was much closer. Both teams traded leads back and forth, and the set was tied 18 times before reaching 20 points apiece.

Kills from Sarah Franklin and Anna Smrek, followed by a pair from Temi ThomasAilara, set up match point for the Badgers. Wisconsin narrowly secured the second set courtesy of a Miami attack error to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Miami came out strong in the third set despite the imposing deficit, but an 8-8 tie is as

close as they got to a set victory.

Wisconsin, up 12-11, used a 6-0 run to give themselves enough distance to see the rest of the match out. Leading 21-15, the Badgers closed the match on a 4-0 run to clinch the final set 25-15 and record their second sweep in as many nights.

Thomas-Ailara built off her strong performance Thursday and led the team with 12 kills.

Sarah Franklin chipped in as usual with nine kills and led the team with 26 total attacks.

Wisconsin was strong across the board as they posted a .341 hitting percentage and limited Miami to just one service ace.

Head coach Kelly Sheffield called Wisconsin’s play “clean” after the match.

“There’s not a lot of errors across the board. That’s a team that has been in the NCAA tournament, probably will be there again this year, held under 100,” Sheffield said about Miami. “We’re hitting over 300 with not a lot of errors across the board. That’s what you like to see.”

The Badgers will likely remain the No. 1 team in the country for another week but face a tougher slate of games next week that includes a matchup with in-state rival No. 24 Marquette at Fiserv Forum and a road matchup against heavyweight No. 3 Florida.

Déjà vu. It’s a hit song by pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo, and also French for “already seen.” Fans of the Wisconsin Badgers are probably feeling this sensation after Saturday’s confusing 31-22 loss to Washington State.

Why is this déjà vu for the Badger faithful? Flashback to a year ago when Wisconsin — who started a fresh season ranked No. 19 and coming off a week one win over a meager opponent — entered a week two matchup against the Washington State Cougars. Wisconsin fell 17-14 at home and dropped out of the rankings for the rest of the season after last year’s upset. Fast forward a year and a new coach later, and the Badgers are once again 1-1 and out of the AP Top 25 rankings, courtesy of another defeat to Washington State.

Both games were different. Offensive ineptitude doomed last year’s game, and a painfully slow start on Sunday proved to be too big of a hole for Wisconsin to escape this time. It’s frustrating for Badger fans to be in the same exact position as last year after all the hype about a new era under head coach Luke Fickell.

There is no doubt some warning signs emerged from the first two games of the season. The Badgers beat Buffalo 38-17, but the game was close for large portions of the contest. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai looked sluggish, throwing for only 189 yards and two touchdowns.

In Sunday’s matchup against Washington State, an overwhelmed Badger defense ceded 24 points to the Cougars in the first half alone. The Badgers only allowed seven points in the second half but forced zero turnovers while the offense coughed up the ball three times.

The offense isn’t exactly showing itself to be much different from last year, either. Wisconsin brought

in new offensive coordinator Phil Longo from North Carolina to install a fast-paced Air Raid offense, but the Badgers so far resemble last year’s plodding, inconsistent unit.

Patience is not a virtue in today’ws college football environment. Coaches change jobs with regularity, and players use the transfer portal with frequency.

As much as college football is a “what have you done for me lately” world, Badger fans must exercise patience with Fickell’s new regime. Unless Fickell operated like Deion Sanders at Colorado and changed practically his entire team, immediate results were not as likely to come. It’s worth noting that the Badgers are only 1-1 and have yet to play a Big Ten opponent.

Just in case some Badgers fanatics are already concerned about the program, let’s take a look at some examples of programs with new head coaches. Head coach Nick Saban finished his first year at Alabama with a record of 6-6. He’s won multiple national titles since then.

While it’s unrealistic to expect Wisconsin to win multiple national titles like Alabama, there are other, more recent examples.

The Texas Longhorns are now the No. 4 team in America after beating Alabama last week. Texas went 5-7 in 2021 during head coach Steve Sarkisian’s first year.

The Florida State Seminoles went 3-6 in 2020 and 5-7 in 2021 during head coach Mike Norvell’s first two years. Now they are the No. 3 team in the country.

Once again, that is not to say that the Luke Fickell era will turn out to be a success. He very well might not be. A loss to Washington State is not ideal, but the Cougars are still a solid program with an NFL-quality quarterback in Cameron Ward.

Ultimately, the parallel loss last year is what began the Badgers’

slide last year, leading to the firing of Paul Chryst and a final record of 7-6. Wisconsin has four games to get it together before a clash with No. 6 Ohio State at the end of October — arguably their biggest game of the season.

They start that four game stretch with Georgia Southern. The Eagles are a solid Group of Five team, but Wisconsin needs to win that game at home. The Badgers will then play at Purdue, followed by two home games against Rutgers and Iowa.

Wisconsin could reasonably go into the Ohio State game 5-1 and relegate the Washington State game to distant memory. However, they are also playing three conference opponents, and their record could just as easily have multiple losses.

These upcoming games will determine the tone of the rest of the season. With a weak Big Ten West up for grabs, it would certainly be ideal for Wisconsin to progress on defense and start to see the Air Raid offense come together. It would surely be a disappointment for the program if a loss to Washington State led to another slide into mediocrity like it did last year.

While fans are obviously craving results this season, it is still worth remembering that Fickell had little time to recruit his own class in 2023, like most first year coaches.

The Badgers finished 40th in 247sports’ recruiting rankings last year and are up to 25th for this year. Fickell is mostly working with Paul Chryst’s players, and while the transfer portal can turn around a lot of teams, it might not be an immediate fix for every program.

We will learn a lot about the Badgers 2023 season in the coming weeks. But it may take a while — maybe even a couple years — to see Fickell’s hire pay off.

MEGHAN SPIRITO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

MEGHAN

Get on top of ‘Bottoms’ film phenomenon

By Gabriella Hartlaub ARTS EDITOR

My friends and I set off on a journey last weekend to see “Bottoms,” directed by Emma Seligman.

The film’s opening weekend was marked by disappointment for many people, including myself, as the film was only available in about 10 theaters nationwide, with the closest one to Madison being in Chicago. Despite its limited release, the film grossed over $450,000 in its opening weekend, a high number when the amount of theaters showing the film is factored in.

Week two brought more theaters into the mix, leading me to the Marcus Palace Cinema in Sun Prairie. The movie itself had all the makings of a cult classic: upand-coming actresses, a heartfelt coming-of-age story and, most notably, a semi-empty theater for the 6:30 p.m. showing.

But what our theater lacked in numbers, it made up for in laughter.

The first thing you should know about “Bottoms” is that it’s a gay movie. The film’s main characters, PJ (Rachel Sennot) and Josie (Ayo

Edibiri), are out lesbians. It’s PJ and Josie’s love for women which drives them to create a girls-only fight club so they can gain the attention of popular cheerleaders Brittany (Kaia Gerber) and Isabel (Havana Rose Liu).

In many ways, “Bottoms” is your typical high school movie. The nerd intends to win the cheerleader away from her football quarterback boyfriend with the backdrop of an incredibly overhyped football game.

And in a lot of other ways, it isn’t your typical high school movie. Even in 2023, it’s impressive to see two lesbian main characters — especially ones who are out like PJ and Josie — and to have the plot revolve around their romantic aspirations. There’s also a borderline copious amount of blood in this film, both in the fight club scenes and in the eventual final fight which takes place during the aforementioned football game.

I won’t spoil anything else about it because it’s truly something you have to see for yourself.

This film is very aware of its overexaggerated portrayal of high school and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a moment where the film takes itself seriously at all.

One of my complaints about the film is a seeming lack of accountability — both to itself and to its characters. We root for Josie and PJ throughout the film, but it’s hard

not to find yourself wondering why they never face consequences for their actions.

In the end, whenever or however you can see “Bottoms” — see “Bottoms”.

More than anything else, this movie is fun. And if you won’t

take my word for it, take the word of the woman in my theater who, by the end of the movie, had laughed so furiously she was all but out of breath.

This movie is a great time. Once you see it, it’s easy to see why it’s as sought after as it is.

‘Ahsoka’ is another fun, if familiar, Star Wars show

small, static sound stages as they often do in other Star Wars shows.

The show’s locations also serve as backdrop to a series of energetic action set pieces which inject muchneeded energy into an often plodding first few episodes. Ahsoka’s use of her twin lightsabers is genuinely inventive, helping her duels stand out among the multitude that litter the franchise.

Dawson’s performance as the wizened Ahsoka, a character which audiences have seen mature over the course of several television shows, is a highlight. However, Dawson’s Ahsoka can almost be a little too stoic and at times saps energy from interactions with other characters. Though, that could also be due to the characters surrounding her — chiefly Winstead’s Hera and Bordizzo’s Sabine — seeming a little unenthusiastic despite being charming in their respective roles.

By Noah Fellinger ARTS EDITOR

The new Star Wars streaming show “Ahsoka,” produced by John Bartnicki and written by Dave Filoni, serves as a perfect encapsulation of recent Star Wars television: action-packed and fun yet familiar and risk-averse. This show will certainly be a fan favorite, but its reliance on familiar themes is indicative of larger trends which weaken the franchise as a whole.

The show follows title character Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), an ex-Jedi and one of the few Forcewielders remaining during the reign of the New Republic, which was established in the aftermath of the Empire’s collapse.

Ahsoka, with the help of her reluctant mentee Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) and General Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), is in search of a map which may lead to the long-

missing Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelson) as well as their friend Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi), who disappeared at the same time.

With the map, Ahsoka hopes to prevent Thrawn’s return; he is the only one capable of rallying the scattered Imperial remnants and sparking a new war with the fledgling Republic. However, she must contend with Imperial sympathizer Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) and her fallen Jedi ally Baylan Skoll (Ray Stevenson), who seek the map to hasten Thrawn’s return.

Those familiar with previous shows taking place in the Star Wars galaxy, particularly the animated series “Star Wars: Rebels,” are likely to recognize many of the characters in “Ahsoka.”

Indeed, the show often feels less like the first season of a new show as it does a continuation of stories

which came before. The premise of the show is itself a follow up to loose ends left by the series finale of “Star Wars: Rebels” in 2018, and it leaves “Ahsoka” feeling like an odd middle chapter without a distinct identity of its own.

Die-hard fans will be pleased to finally receive answers to longheld questions, but those less familiar with the Star Wars canon may quickly find themselves alienated by the glut of story “Ahsoka” is built upon. To compensate for this, the show maintains a continuous stream of exposition which flows throughout the first few episodes, slowing the story’s progression to a snail’s pace.

Things pick up dramatically by the fourth episode. However, that leaves just four episodes remaining before the season’s conclusion.

This reliance on familiar faces as well as the show’s not-so-subtle purpose as setup for a Marvel-style

crossover with its sister shows is emblematic of an issue dragging many Star Wars shows down.

“Ahsoka,” as well as the deeply disappointing “The Book of Boba Fett,” came about as spinoffs to the critically acclaimed series “The Mandalorian.” Although that show’s first season balanced nostalgic elements with novel ideas in a strong, standalone story, the show ended up falling into the same pit as its spinoffs in the second and third seasons. These shows spend so much time setting up future projects that it pulls focus from the shows themselves, leaving them feeling hollow and unsatisfying.

That said, “Ahsoka” is much more solidly crafted than “The Book of Boba Fett” or the third season of “The Mandalorian,” and looks far better than either show. The effects are easily on par with the films, and the show’s dynamic locations avoid feeling like

Another highlight is the late character actor Ray Stevenson’s turn as the fallen jedi Baylan Skoll. The steadfast and often poignant Skoll has a quiet nobility to him which, paired with his firm presence and strong sense of honor, solidifies him as one of the most likable characters in the show.

Sadly, Stevenson recently passed away at the age of 58. The first episode of “Ahsoka” is dedicated to him, with the words “For Our Friend Ray” appearing at the end of the episode.

Overall, “Ahsoka” offers energetic action and classic Star Wars fare. Though, it might serve best as background noise while doing other things as the show’s more engaging qualities are weighed down by its extensive lore and lack of creative risks.

The show will certainly satisfy long-time fans and most casual viewers. Just don’t set your expectations too high.

Fourepisodesof“Ahsoka”were screened for this review. The sixth episode of “Ahsoka” debuts on DisneyPlusonSept.19.

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Dane County updates initiative for carbon neutrality by 2030. Will Madison make it?

By Madelyn Anderson SCIENCE EDITOR

Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced a new carbon tracking technology earlier this month that could help Madison achieve its climate change mitigation goals.

With the help of the Land & Water Resources Department (LWRD) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the new carbon tracking system will monitor the amount of carbon trapped in county soils.

The initiative is part of Dane County’s goal of having net-zero carbon emissions for all county buildings and machines by 2030, which Parisi announced in September 2021. The plan was previously supported by a multimillion dollar commitment to clean fuel, utilizing renewable natural gas facilities and electric vehicles.

Additionally, Parisi partnered with Alliant Energy and SunVest Solar to transition Dane County to 100% clean electricity — reducing emissions by over 60% and becoming the first Wisconsin county with total renewable energy.

“The flooding, fires and extreme temperatures gripping

the globe year after year offer irrefutable, tangible evidence we are in the midst of a climate crisis,” Parisi said in a press release in September 2021.

“We all have a responsibility to act now, and that’s just what Dane County government is doing.”

Using soil to analyze climate progress

Dane County’s accomplishments are only the beginning of reaching the 2030 objective. The next seven years will be crucial, but it appears the secret to success might be right under our feet: soil.

Dane County’s new soil tracking process leverages a process known as soil carbon storage, which acts as an anticlimate change aid. When soil is thriving, it naturally retains carbon dioxide below the surface and away from our atmosphere. This is possible because of underground ecosystems where creatures with a home in the dirt consume organic materials and emit carbon into the ground.

While soil carbon storage is a natural wonder of nature, it can be aided by soil-based

carbon sequestration. These are land management practices, like intentionally choosing crops and adjusting farming techniques for optimal soil health and carbon trapping. Although these are useful

tools for resilience in farmland, modifying pre-existing ecosystems for rows of agriculture is not ideal. Instead, it’s preferable to keep or restore naturally occurring habitats like prairies and grasslands.

Parisi is aware of this and soil’s role in reaching the 2023 target. As a result, he offered Dane County landowners the option to enroll in the Continuous Cover Program (CCP). This involves a 15-year contract focused on introducing proper vegetation and methods to improve soil health.

CCP offers farmers an ecological and financial incentive and has already successfully converted over 1,500 acres of land, according to Parisi’s office. In response to the vast expansion of these sustainable systems, new tracking technology is needed.

That’s where LWRD and UW-Madison come in. In the coming months, LWRD will collect cores, which are column-shaped collections of soil sections. They plan to sample content up to a meter underground from private CCP lands as well as Dane County parks.

From there, the material will be sent to the UW Soil and Forage Lab for further study. Parisi invested over $4 million dollars in this initiative, hoping researchers will be able to measure changes in carbon

content of soils that have been undergoing environmentally conscious management. If higher levels are observed, this would indicate key progress towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions in the next seven years. Carbon capture technology is at the forefront of climate solutions, from methods of air to soil. Armed with potential evidence from upcoming Dane County core sample studies, Parisi, LWRD, and UW-Madison could prove that investing in trapping these powerful gases is worth it.

RIVER KRATOCHVIL/THE DAILY CARDINAL