By Sreejita Patra STAFF WRITER
Madison has been named among the gayest cities in the United States for its progressive atmosphere and rich queer history.
But for many incoming LGBTQ+ students seeking community at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, starting the search can overwhelming. To kick off Pride Month, The Daily Cardinal compiled a list of activities and locations in Madison for queer people to experience community.
Campus organizations
Gender and Sexuality Campus Center: Located in the Red Gym, UW-Madison’s Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (GSCC) provides education, advocacy and resources to foster a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students and allies. The GSCC is known for hosting popular welcome events such as Drag Bingo and offering scholarships to new students. Students can drop by during GSCC hours to peruse a collection of queer books, eat snacks or use free printing services.
The Pride Society: Founded in 1983 upon the passage of Wisconsin’s gay rights legislation, The Pride Society is best known for its annual “Pride Prom” with unique themes and drag performance artists. The Pride Society also hosts other community events throughout the year.
Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC): This organization focuses its volunteering, outreach and programming efforts on issues relating to LGBTQ+ people of color, while also being run by queer people of color themselves. QTPOC’s most recent event was a communal mural and dinner celebrating Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month.
Sex Out Loud: Created in 1998 to provide UW students “comprehensive, accessible and pleasure-based sexuality education,” Sex Out Loud is a peer-to-peer sexual health resource led by a “diverse and queer staff” that caters to LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual needs. The organization provides free safe sex supplies, counseling and works with Greek life to dismantle sexual violence norms.
Madison nightlife
Shamrock Bar & Grille: Located about a block from the Capitol, Shamrock Bar & Grille has proudly served Madison’s queer residents since its establishment as a gay bar in 1985. Stop by during the day for a $5-$8 dollar lunch or at night until 3 a.m. for food, drinks and music.
Woof’s: Self-described as a “bear/ levi/leather” sports bar just off the Capitol Square, this no-cover venue is perfect for fans of darts, pool, karaoke and drinking. Crowds come for the establishment’s 12-inch flat screen TVs and weekday happy hours with
half-price drinks, as well as daily and monthly themed events.
FIVE Nightclub: As one of Madison’s largest dance venues, FIVE Nightclub regularly draws in diverse crowds for its music, DJs and “mesmerizing light show.” The club is also known for hosting summer volleyball tournaments, ZUMBA, country linedancing and frequent drag events.
Sotto: This “electro dance, LGBTfriendly club bathed in neon lights” on 303 N Henry St. offers live DJ music and several floors for dance space. Although not self-identified as a gay club, Sotto’s inclusive atmosphere and convenient downtown location is perfect for young gay people on a night off.
Dyke Dive: Hosted as a monthly themed pop-up event in different dive/ neighborhood bars, attending Dyke Dive is an inexpensive opportunity for queer people looking to dress up and meet people. Past themes have included the Cryptids Convention costume party and a Chappell Roan night.
Businesses and charities
A Room of One’s Own: The selfproclaimed queer and trans-owned feminist bookstore on Atwood Avenue is open seven days a week with a wide range of LGBTQ+ books and event-programming centered around queer storytelling.
Outreach Center: Outreach LGBTQ+ Community Center provides resources for education, housing, elders and overall community to queer people in the Madison area. The organization works closely with the Morgridge Center at UW-Madison during the academic year to involve students and hosts an annual Pride Festival in August.
LGBT Books to Prisoners: LGBT Books to Prisoners is a “donationfunded, volunteer-run” non-profit that sends free books and educational resources to incarcerated queer people across the U.S. Students can get
involved directly through the organization’s website or through the Morgridge Center on campus.
Programs and activities
Stage Q: Stage Q is a performing arts theater dedicated to producing plays written by and about LGBTQ+ people. Located on Mifflin Street, opportunities to become involved with the troupe through acting, volunteering and playwriting are open to people of all experience levels.
Madison Minotaurs: Looking to join a rugby team? No experience is required to join the Madison Minotaurs, a gay-inclusive rugby club that plays tournaments both in the U.S. and abroad. The 2024 fall practice schedule is soon to be finalized.
Neighborhoods
Middleton: About six miles west of downtown, Middleton has the highest concentration of gay residents in Madison. The city is hosting an allages Pride Festival on June 8.
“Dyke-Heights”: Located south of Atwood on the isthmus, this unofficial “gayborhood” houses a large number of lesbian families and a lesbianowned-and-operated pet accessories store called Bad Dog Frida.
More resources
Our Lives: Our Lives is a Wisconsin magazine focused entirely on LGBTQ+ news, people, community and culture.
Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project: Wisconsin’s largest digital repository of free LGBTQ+ media, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project is dedicated to preserving queer heritage through research, publications, walking tours and more.
Wisconsin LGBT Center of Commerce: The Wisconsin LGBT Center of Commerce is an organization dedicated to creating a “fully inclusive [Wisconsin] by promoting economic growth and opportunities among LGBTQ+ owned and allied businesses.”
Dane County’s Dane Arts program recently awarded local art organizations $115,193, with contributions coming from both county and private funding.
Dane Arts released the first cycle of grants on May 14 to 65 projects, five short orders and four capital requests. The three private funding companies included Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
Dane County Cultural Affairs Specialist Augusta Brulla told The Daily Cardinal Dane County supports the arts because it benefits the area’s economy.
A study conducted by Dane Arts and Americans for the Arts found local attendees of art events provided an extra $38 on top of their ticket price to Dane County, while out-oftowners paid over $81 for expenses such as travel, food and babysitters. Brulla said the arts provide Dane County a “vital part of identity,” one that those both in and outside of the county can appreciate.
The purpose of the Dane Art grants, Brulla said, is to continue the county’s commitment to art because it “reflects community belief, value, history, way of life.”
Diane Ballweg, the owner of Endres Manufacturing Company,
told the Cardinal funding for local art projects has become a priority for her company.
“I witness the creative growth, the building of friendships and the beauty of shared beauty,” Ballweg said.
As a board member of the National Committee of Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center, Ballweg said she plans to host a committee meeting in 2025 to showcase Madison’s art events.
Projects that received funding fell under one of several categories — arts in education, dance, local history, multidisciplinary arts/culture, music, theater and visual arts.
The Madison Public Library was awarded $1,951 for their iteration of a project titled “Our Town Everywhere,” a collection of self-portraits created to draw light on and celebrate the artists that make up the Madison community.
Erin Woodard, the grants and development manager for the Madison Public Library, called the Madison project a “collaborative creation amongst the many people who call Madison home.”
The number of portraits made for the Madison project has now exceeded the original, created by Bryce McCloud for the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Woodard said the library is now in a curation stage, where staff will choose portraits to place in exhibits in the Central Library and other neighboring libraries.
More exhibits are planned as well as artist residencies and workshops, which will remain free to the public due to the arts grant, according to Woodard.
The Wisconsin Veterans Museum connects visitors to Wisconsin’s military history through interactive media. Executive Director Jen Carlson said the grant money will help pay interpreters and actors as well as improvements to accessibility for schools to attend these productions.
“These discussions invariably lead to reflections on who we are as Wisconsinites and how each of us impacts the community through our actions and contributions,” Carlson said.
American Players Theatre (APT) was awarded $2,052 to go toward discounted tickets and expose more students and educators to live performances, according to Annie Louis, APT’s associate development director.
Louis said between 1,500 and 3,000 Dane County students and educators attend a morning performance, followed by a workshop, throughout the show season.
The artists at APT aim to connect students to classical works, such as Shakespeare, because “they communicate the human condition in a way that no one else can,” APT Education Director David Daniel said.
“It’s not just about our teaching
artists saying it or performing it, but for the students to hear it and feel it,” Daniel said.
High school and college students are offered 50% off APT tickets when they order the week of the show.
Many of these organizations have in-house support with donations and volunteers, but Sarah Schaffer from the Friends of Allen Centennial Garden said the Dane Arts grant will help pay their musicians. Schaffer said without the money, Friends of Allen Centennial Garden would not be able to run their summer concerts in the garden.
The Madison Children’s Museum is using this funding in a unique way, according to Director of Marketing and Communications Jonathan Zarov. Art studio equipment including tables, stools and booster chairs will allow the museum to increase opportunity of art expression, especially for children.
Zarov said the grant covers these necessary items and allows the Madison Children’s Museum to focus on providing kids with non-conventional art materials to inspire creativity.
Dane Arts will award a total of over $218,000 in public-private funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, individuals and municipalities for arts projects and other community arts programs offered countywide.
The next project grant deadline is Aug. 1, according to the press release.
One month after the May 1 law enforcement raid on the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s pro-Palestine encampment, distrust in campus administration from students sympathetic to the protests remains high.
“We all felt betrayed,” said Muiz Aminu, a student who was at the encampment the morning of the police raid. “It’s hard when they say that civil disobedience and protests are a part of their history, then they take action against it.”
34 protesters were arrested and four cited with felonies after UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin authorized campus area police departments to raid the Library Mall encampment organized by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA).
“For us to see that the chancellor essentially put her stamp of approval on sending police out in riot gear to remove students was very disconcerting, like it was a betrayal in so many different ways,” Aminu told
The Daily Cardinal.
The encampment started on April 29 and lasted until May 10, the day that campus administration and protesters reached a deal to end the encampment. Both SJP and YDSA are now under investigation by UW-Madison for their roles in organizing the encampment. UW-Madison Dean of Students Christina Olstad suspended YDSA during the investigation.
UW-Madison has a strong history of campus protest and civically-minded students, but that hasn’t stopped law enforcement from breaking up those protests in the past, Kacie Lucchini-Butcher, director of the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History, told the Cardinal.
“I think one of the things that the university should do is really think about protests as one of our grand traditions,” Lucchini-Butcher said. “Our students are very civically engaged, they’re passionate, and they care about these issues, and they want to find a place to voice that care and concern and to educate other students.”
Lucchini-Butcher said police raids
often cause protesters to rally stronger around their cause.
“Generally speaking, when the university cracks down on student protests, it has the opposite effect,” Lucchini-Butcher said.
When the police left, only two tents of the 35 tents were standing. The encampment grew larger after the raid than before police action, with over 50 tents on Library Mall at its peak.
Graduation reflections
During the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement program’s Spring 2024 Graduation ceremony, multiple student speakers mentioned pro-Palestine protests on campus and the university response to them.
“We continue to feel as though we come second to the comfort of our white and privileged peers,”
Dana Giselle Escobar-Alviar, a student speaker at the ceremony, said. “We saw this during the university’s response to Audrey Godlewski’s hateful and racist words, and we see it now in their response to hold no opinion in the Palestinian genocide we are fighting against today.”
Cuauhtemoc Guizar of the Mercile
J. Lee Scholars program spoke about his own experience growing up in the inner city of Milwaukee and the changes he experienced once coming to Madison for school.
“I went from navigating the inner city to now a bureaucratic system, a different kind of volatile environment,” Guizar said. “At least the south side doesn’t hide behind the facade of the Wisconsin Idea.”
Mnookin had delivered open -
ing remarks at this ceremony and was seated behind the speakers on stage while they gave their speeches. Also present was Olstad, who had participated in negotiations with encampment protesters.
“Let this be a reminder to university leaders, especially those who are here on this stage, who they are here to serve,” Guizar said. “The students.”
+ Encampment page 4
For Jackson Kinney, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Richland is in his DNA.
His grandparents graduated from UW-Platteville Richland in the 1960s when it was just a teacher’s college. In the 1990s, his father attended. And when his sophomore year wrapped up in 2023, Jackson was the third and final generation to attend.
Now, Kinney is a senior at UW-La Crosse, but when he visits his family farm in Richland County, feelings of “disappointment” are hard to escape.
“It’s just a constant reminder when you go by there now that this place has served so many people — literally for my family generations. Now, it seems like it’s just sitting there rotting for no good reason,”
Kinney told The Daily Cardinal.
“There’s a big, important part of the community missing, and it’s really hard to come to terms with.”
Kinney’s not alone. For nearly two years, the Richland community has been left to grapple with an increasingly common issue in Wisconsin: losing a university.
In November 2022, the UW System ordered UW-Platteville Richland to close its 135-acre campus.
The order to close the Richland campus followed years of declining enrollment, according to the UW System. By the time UW-Platteville Richland closed, just 54 students were enrolled, a roughly 90% reduction from 2014, when enrollment was 567 students.
Students and staff rallied to “save” the UW-Platteville Richland campus in 2023 — organizing town halls, circulating a petition and meeting with UW System President Jay Rothman — but were ultimately unsuccessful.
“We went into these meetings knowing we don’t have that much of a shot,” said Brody Smith, a former UW-Platteville Richland student and junior at UW-Whitewater. “But when we got there and we were shooting our shot, and we were talking to the people, it almost felt like we
didn’t have a shot at all.”
Unsuccessful negotiations leave gap in the community
In-person instruction officially concluded with the 2023 spring semester. According to Richland County Board Chair David Turk, it’s left a “void” in their community and economy.
“Students were definitely integrated as part of our community. They worked part-time jobs in local businesses. They were customers in stores. They were participating in not just campus events but community events,” Turk said.
After the order, UW System officials maintained a presence on the campus.
In June 2023, the UW System authorized a $150,000 sale of East Hall, a former academic building on campus, from the county to the local school district.
UW System officials negotiated with the local government for months, trying to create a future plan for the campus.
But that came to an abrupt end this April. In a letter to the Richland County Board of Supervisors, the UW System announced it will completely vacate the UW-Platteville Richland campus by July 1, 2024.
The move is the final nail in UW-Platteville Richland’s coffin, turning the vacant campus over to the county and ending public higher education in Richland Center.
Turk said much of the community is “up in arms,” with some feeling “betrayed” by the decision.
The campus is still owned by Richland County and is part of a 75-year lease agreement between the county and the UW Board of Regents which isn’t set to expire until 2042. Under the agreement, the county maintains the property while the UW System provides “adequate instructional and administrative staff” to operate a branch campus.
Without a functioning campus or future plans with the UW-System, the county faces a “potential economic crisis,”
County Administrator Candace Pesch said in a statement.
In their letter, the UW System suggested the county apply for a recently-created $2 million state grant program directed at redeveloping former branch campuses. The county has been researching the grant for months, and while Turk looks forward to reimagining the property, he’s concerned they got to this point.
“There’s a big, important part of the community missing”
Jackson Kinney former student, UW-Platteville Richland
“We were never under the impression that [the grant] was intended to absolve UW of any responsibility for upholding its agreements. It seems we have a difference of opinion in that regard,” Turk said.
UW System spokesman Mark Pitsch did not address the status of the lease but said in an email to the Wisconsin State Journal the decision to vacate “comes after about two years of discussion with Richland County elected, community and business leaders without a resolution.”
Reflection and ‘denial’
For more than 30 years, Marnie Dresser taught English at UW-Platteville Richland. Starting there in 1992, the college accounted for much of her professional life.
“It was an amazing place to be a teacher,” Dresser said.
When the campus closed, Dresser retired with it. Now, at 58, she lives in Spring Green, Wisconsin, where she cares for her aging parents and stays busy with creative writing.
But it wasn’t until the end of April that she cleaned out her Richland Center office.
“I just sort of was procrastinating and living in denial,” Dresser said.
For Dresser, the closure came with mixed emotions.
“Weirdly, part of it was relief,”
Dresser said. “When they kept taking resources away from us to be able to recruit and do the things we needed to do to get students there, as the enrollment dropped below 100, and then dropped to 75, and then dropped to 60, that’s just not a real campus,” she said.
At the same time, it was a moment marked by grief.
“It didn’t have to be that way,” Dresser said, underlining Wisconsin’s multi-billion dollar surplus.
Jake Steele, a Richland Center native and a member of UW-Platteville Richland’s final graduating class, vividly remembers when he heard about the university’s closure.
“I woke up in the morning to my friend calling me, and we just sat there on the phone, basically in silence. We couldn’t even believe it,” Steele said.
When he reflects on his time at UW-Platteville Richland, Steele said the college was the “perfect choice.”
“It allowed me to figure out what I wanted to do, start off slow, kind of just get into the college environment, start taking courses, see what interests me. It also allowed me to be a little bit more open as well,” Steele said.
A statewide trend
UW-Platteville Richland was the first branch campus to close since UW-Medford shuttered in 1980, but it won’t be the last. Since 2023, the UW System has marked four other campuses for closure.
In October 2023, UW System ordered closures at UW-Milwaukee’s Washington County campus and UW-Oshkosh’s Fond du Lac campus. This decision followed an earlier directive from Rothman to explore the long-term viability of the branch campuses.
Three months later, UW-Green Bay’s Marinette campus announced the end of in-person instruction. And UW-Milwaukee announced the closure of its Waukesha campus in March 2024. By the end of the spring 2025 term, just 8 of 13 branch campuses will remain.
As more extension campuses
get the ax, Smith worries what it could mean for other communities like his. He said two-year campuses are located in places for underprivileged students who can’t otherwise pursue higher education due to financial or geographic constraints.
“There are some people that literally the only chance they have of getting any sort of higher education is to find a two-year campus or a smaller college that is close to them,” Smith said. “I know people from Richland that literally stopped going to college after that.”
For other communities like Richland, Turk issued a warning.
“Certainly for other communities that have two-year campuses: be talking about this now, proactively, because I believe your time is coming,” Tusk said.
‘Memories are forever’
With the UW System closing the door on future graduates at UW-Platteville Richland, some in the community are working to keep the memory alive.
On April 27, UW-Platteville Richland’s Roadrunner Gym played host to men’s and women’s alumni basketball games. The event was part of Homecoming, one of two annual events put on by the UW-Richland Campus Alumni Association.
“The day is usually filled with fond memories, smiles and, unfortunately for the players, sore muscles,” said Elizabeth Deitelhoff, a 2013 graduate and Homecoming Committee chair.
In years past, the event was built around a simple, evergreen theme: “once a Roadrunner, always a Roadrunner.”
This year, the closure prompted a new theme: “doors are closed, memories are forever.”
“It’s important to keep these memories alive due to the generations and decades of families that received a great education or start to education and careers at a small local campus,” Deitelhoff said.
Reem Itani, a Muslim and Palestinian student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was walking back to her dorm one day wearing a traditional keffiyeh when someone spoke to her in Arabic.
They said, “bismillah a salam wa alaykum” — a common greeting among Muslims meaning “in the name of Allah, peace be upon you.” But Itani said they used a very “white accent” in an attempt to mock Muslims.
“It makes me feel like I’m not really welcome on campus,” Itani said. “If I reported that, I don’t think the administration would care enough to actually look into it.”
Other Muslim and Middle Eastern North African (MENA) students have experienced physical harassment, derogatory name calling and other verbal harassment, according to Itani.
Students said they feel unsafe and unsupported on campus due to harassment and a lack of concrete administrative support.
During the pro-Palestine encampment from April 29 to May 10 — which pushed for UW-Madison “financial and social” divestment from Israel — Muslim students reported experiencing discrimination on campus because of their identity as a Muslim or MENA, according Itani.
And some students said the university more broadly lacks care for these groups, causing them to push for more organizational support on campus.
State Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, found Islamophobic messaging near Langdon Street on May 6, including a poster depicting a woman in hijab with the message “Islam is satanic/martyrs burn/in hell.” It is unknown who was responsible for these messages.
A student shared in an anonymous MENA hate crime form that another student spat at them for wearing a piece of cultural clothing that identified them as Arab.
This form was created in late March by Haia Al Zein, the diversity and engagement chair for the Associated Students of Madison (ASM), for her project increasing support of MENA students on campus. It is not the official UW-Madison “racial bias or hate” crime form.
Another form response said “the girls across [from my door] reported mine and my roommates ‘free Palestine,’ sign.”
“They claimed I was being anti-
Continued from page 3
Solidarity between Badgers
In the past, many students and staff rallied against violence they watched enacted against their classmates and colleagues.
One professor at the encampment held a sign that said “Professor against hitting students” during the May 1 police raid, and faculty rallied in support of their students at the encampment. The April 29 protest began with a group of faculty walking down State Street holding a sign reading “Faculty and Staff support our students.”
Many students also spoke out against the raid on social media, and organizations like the
semitic and continued to use harsh language towards me and my POC roommate. A couple of weeks later they ripped down the sign and yelled curse words at our door,” the student said. “All of this has occurred on the Multicultural Learning Community on the second floor in Witte, a community designed for BIPOC students to feel safe and welcome.”
However, these feelings are not isolated to the encampment or current events.
Al Zein said she never “blinked twice” about being a Middle Eastern immigrant before coming to UW-Madison, but now she feels differently.
“I felt like every time I interacted with new students, they looked at me a little differently — I’ve never had that feeling before in my entire life,” Al Zein said. “I think for a very long time, I kind of suppressed my identity.”
Muslim students say lack of support from administration alienates them
In communications throughout the semester, UW-Madison
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin condemned both Islamophobia and antisemitism, but Itani said these statements lack weight because Mnookin hasn’t detailed what Muslim students are going through on campus.
“They can put in their statements ‘We condemn Islamophobia,’ but you don’t condemn it if you are silent when actions [against Muslims] happen,” Itani said. “The administration pretends to support [us].”
Itani also said the administration does not equally support Jewish and Muslim students.
“I’d like to see the same care for Muslim students as for Jewish students. I would like to see the same empathy for both groups,” Itani said. “I don’t think the chancellor really empathizes with Muslim students enough.”
Al Zein’s MENA hate crime form also received a response from a Jewish student sharing her experience with antisemitism on campus and how she feels unsafe to go out. Al Zein said both Muslim and Jewish students feel a “certain level of unsafety on campus,” and she wishes the groups could find solidarity in that.
“It’s such a common ground among students, and I wish both parties could find that middle ground,” she said.
In communications with Mnookin preceding the encampment, Itani, who participated in the pro-Palestine
Teaching Assistants Association and Associated Students of Madison condemned the violence.
“ASM deplores any violence against students, especially statesanctioned violence, and recognizes the immeasurable harm that today’s events have on our community,” ASM wrote in a May 1 statement.
Aminu also said that even students who have remained neutral on IsraelPalestine may have been compelled to speak out against police brutality against their peers.
“There are a lot of people that hate police and police brutality,” he said. “They were like, ‘yeah, I don’t really know much about Palestine and Israel, but I am an advocate for eradicating police brutality.’”
encampment, said she felt a lack of empathy toward Palestinians.
“Even in the first semester when we had a meeting with [Mnookin], one of my friends was like, ‘70 of my family members have died in Gaza,’ and then [Mnookin] was like ‘well, what about the other side?’” Itani said. “That’s just not what you say.”
Many participants of the encampment were “dissatisfied with what little could be achieved through negotiations with this administration,” according to an Instagram post from Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), one of the groups who organized the encampment.
SJP came to an agreement with administration on May 10 to remove the encampment and respect university policy in future protest in exchange for facilitating discussions into disclosure and investment principles with decision makers at the UW Foundation (WFAA).
The university will also increase support for students impacted by war, violence, occupation and displacement, including Gaza and Ukraine, through a review of student engagement from the International Division, an invitation to a scholar from a Palestinian university for the next three years and a student affairs staff member focused on supporting students “impacted by war, violence and displacement.”
“The fact that they adhered to none of our demands shows that they don’t care enough about Muslim and MENA students to actually do what we want them to do,” Itani said. “There’s no systemic changes that they concretely promised to put in place.”
Itani also felt police violence against protesters demonstrated carelessness for people of color on campus, particularly the peo-
In communication obtained by the Cardinal, faculty privately expressed concerns with Mnookin’s actions.
Water@UW, a community of faculty, staff and student researchers who study water in Madison, held their annual Spring Symposium on May 6. Mnookin was originally scheduled to open the event with remarks.
The Water@UW Symposium organizing committee expressed to the chancellor’s office on the evening of May 4 that several of their members had been affected by and had concerns about the treatment of students and faculty by law enforcement.
The invitation to deliver welcoming remarks was not rescinded, however, and the two parties decided it
ple of color who were arrested at the encampment.
“When a bunch of my friends were arrested and professors were harassed, when the police came, she didn’t even condemn that,” Itani said. “She said we are the problem, basically implying that the police have to do this.”
Students call for more safe spaces for Muslim, MENA students on campus
Despite these incidents, there aren’t safe spaces for Muslim and MENA students to come together on campus, Itani said.
Itani cited cultural centers like the Latinx Cultural Center in the Red Gym as a way to further culture, safety and education for these communities on campus. Itani said a “physical space and more support” for Muslim and MENA students on campus would help them flourish.
“It would be a safe space for Muslim students, even to study and to know they won’t be targeted at all,” Itani said. “It’ll be a completely safe space like Hillel and Chabad are for Jewish students.”
Itani is not alone in her advocacy for more cultural centers. Al Zein released a petition to create a MENA cultural center on campus in March which has since received 341 signatures.
“I wanted people that were higher up to see that students want this,” Al Zein said. “It isn’t just something that I am advocating for.”
UW does currently offer MENA programming, like heritage month events, through the Multicultural Student Center, but Al Zein doesn’t believe this is sufficient.
Students push for a MENA cultural center
A MENA cultural center would give students the opportunity to
would be best not to draw attention away from the event, the emails show.
“We want you to know that there will likely be members present during the Symposium that have felt and are continuing to feel impacts from the events of the past week,” the email read. “We hope to maintain a celebratory focus on our organization, but we also understand that it might be difficult for some of those among us during this time.”
The Symposium’s opening remarks were instead delivered by Alison Mikulyuk, Water@UW’s research program coordinator.
“In discussion with the Chancellor’s office who was originally scheduled to speak, we decided together to keep the focus on [the
meet one another in a safe space, further their success through group empowerment and attend various cultural, educational or religious events, Al Zein said. She said it could also help people learn about different cultures outside of their perception of the Middle East from the media.
A physical space to meet other students with similar identities is something Al Zein wished she had when she began attending UW-Madison, which is a predominantly white institution.
Al Zein said she plans to bring this plan to UW-Madison administration, but has seen a lot of “hesitancy” when it comes to identity centers.
In an April media roundtable, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor said it can be difficult to decide “how many [centers] we will have and who decides [them],” with many groups looking for space on campus.
“I have a lot of friends from back home that don’t want to come to Madison because of the lack of diversity,” Al Zein said. “ MENA within itself is so diverse, and you get to learn about all these states that are intertwined in the same group.”
Al Zein said she wishes people understood the MENA center is not intended to exclude any one ethnicity or race but is an identity group to empower students.
And while Itani said she struggled to meet other Palestinian students arriving on campus, finding the community helped her feel understood.
“I don’t really need to explain myself to anyone when I am in a space with those people,” she said. “A lot of times, even if people have good intentions, it is exhausting to try to keep explaining to them why Palestinians matter.”
Symposium] and the water work that we do,” Mikulyuk said at the end of the opening remarks.
Looking forward
Aminu said the relationship between student protesters and administrators will be difficult to mend.
I do think there is going to be a chilly reception,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a repairable relationship between students and administration, at least for the foreseeable future.”
He said university officials would need to take initiative in addressing protesters’ demands to begin rebuilding student trust.
“They have to, to their own determination, just decide to make changes to really repair the relationship,” Aminu said.
Entering college can feel like losing connections to old friends, but it also provides crucial opportunities to create new ones.By Alexandra Malatesta LIFE & STYLE EDITOR
I remember high school graduation like it was yesterday: the palpable excitement, the bittersweet farewells and the overwhelming sense of possibility for the future.
But a sense of apprehension also lingered. Choosing a college, knowing it would be one of the most momentous decisions in my life, was undeniably stressful. But once the choice was made, the pride I felt for becoming a Badger filled me with the most excitement I had ever experienced before.
The transition from high school to college marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another — a journey filled with uncertainty and conflicting emotions while navigating young adulthood.
During this new slice of our lives, we are aware of the sacrifices we must make such as the friends we leave behind and the security of our childhood homes. It feels like a loss, but in some ways it’s a gain.
College is also about more than just academics. It’s about making new friendships and finding new interests. It’s about learning to figure out the complexities of adult life and balancing our coursework with extracurriculars, jobs and friends. It’s a time of exploration and self-discovery as we learn who
we are and who we aspire to become.
I learned so many lessons these past two years, but the one that stuck with me the most was not to worry about what others think and to do whatever you want to do.
I am sure you’ve heard it many times before, but truly, other people don’t have to go to bed at night with the decisions you chose to make, you do. Don’t worry about what you think you should be doing, use this time to explore and pave your own path.
I felt this way when making friends. I
had a lot of great friends in high school, so I was nervous I wouldn’t find that same connection in college, but I was wrong. I joined so many organizations on campus from being on the executive board of my sorority, to now also being an editor of a college newspaper.
There’s so many avenues you can go down and so many different kinds of people and friends to make in classes and in organizations. I promise you will find your people, no matter how daunting it sounds.
As I reflect back on my freshman
year at UW-Madison, I am struck by the profound impact it has had on my life. While steering academic challenges and supporting the personal growth that comes with college, I found myself meeting some of my closest friends.
It’s remarkable to think that some of these friendships began simply by keeping my dormitory room door open to invite conversations with other new students.
What’s even more striking is the way my circle of friends has expanded, rather than replaced, my relationships from high school. While I remain close with friends from my hometown, my new friendships at UW-Madison brought fresh perspectives, experiences and support, serving as invaluable additions to the tapestry of my life.
That time of transition in my life had been a testament to the power of embracing both the past and the future.
As I look ahead to the years to come, I do so with gratitude for the friendships that have supported me so far and excitement for the future friendships to be formed and the memories to be made here at UW-Madison.
It’s the people we meet along the way who truly shape our college experience and leave a lasting mark on us. Recognizing and cherishing old memories allows us to have an open heart for new experiences.
With the spring semester coming to a close, Madison’s beautiful summer season begins.
Full of boating, lakefront paths, restaurants and farmers markets, there is something for everyone. Madison’s summer agenda is packed with activities offering residents and visitors an assortment of experiences to enjoy under the sun.
Many students spend their summers in town, but many go home as well, leaving campus a bit more open and relaxed.
When coming for University of Wisconsin-Madison’s SOAR in June with my mom, we left wishing we had planned more activities for our stay, as we fell in love with not only the campus, but the city itself.
Looking back, I would’ve appreciated a list of personal recommendations from a student attending Madison, so I decided to make one myself. I outlined a few of my favorite summer activities and places in Madison. Not only for SOAR families, but for everyone looking to broaden their horizons and experience the best of Madison.
Activities
Picnic Point
Picnic Point is a beautiful lookout point about two and a half miles from Memorial Union along Lakeshore Path. Whether you love nature, want to get active or simply want to explore, this is
the place for you.
I love running the path to Picnic Point with a friend — the trail is well kept, flat and beautiful. Many people walk or bring food for a picnic.
The scenery is gorgeous. The water is blue and calming, greenery is all around, and birds are chirping. It feels like an escape from reality. With many benches available to take in the views, you’ll forget you’re in a city. Small beaches and bonfire areas are also available along the trail for public use.
Boating and lake life
Madison is home to five lakes: Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Kegonsa and Waubesa. UW-Madison sits on the serene Lake Mendota, but it is also walking distance to Lake Monona.
Memorial Union sits on the waters of Lake Mendota with many docks and open seating areas for students and visitors to enjoy. It is truly a gem.
If you are looking to rent a boat or kayak, Lake Monona will be the lake for you. There are many rental places available, but I recommend checking out Brittingham Boats located in downtown Madison to get started.
Dane County Farmers’ Market
If you are in town on a Saturday, this farmers market is a must. It is the “country’s largest producer-only farmers market,” and it surrounds the state Capitol, only about a 10-15 minute walk from campus. Enjoy fresh produce, flowers and more.
Restaurants
Vintage Spirits & Grill
Vintage is the perfect place to go to experience Madison’s nightlife in a relaxed manner. If you are looking for a place with great food, drinks, a vibrant atmosphere and plenty of outdoor seating, Vintage is the place to be.
Lucille
Hungry for pizza? Lucille’s modern, welcoming environment offers wonderful drinks and food, specifically wood fired pizzas. Book a reservation ahead of time, as this place gets packed in the summer.
Der RathskellerWant a quick bite directly on campus? Check out Der Rathskeller located in Memorial Union. The menu offers something for everyone, from sandwiches to salads. Get your food to go or enjoy it overlooking the lake. I love the chicken caesar salad wrap. It is the perfect lunch option.
Eno Vino
If you are looking for a formal, upscale dining experience, check out Eno Vino. This rooftop wine bar serves ‘fresh inviting’ food and drinks. This is a great place to go if you want to put on your favorite outfit and hit the town.
Wisconsinites will head to the polls this November to vote in the presidential race, U.S. Senate race and Wisconsin Legislature races.
Wisconsin holds considerable power in the presidential election as a state with 10 electoral votes and a high level of political diversity as a swing state. Wisconsin’s electoral votes have gone to the winners of four of the past six presidential elections, making it a contentious battleground for voters this year.
Here’s what you need to know about the key races on your Nov. 5 ballot.
Democratic President Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump both secured the necessary delegates to clinch the nomination for their respective parties in March.
Both Biden and Trump were able to secure delegates by large margins for their parties’ nominations in the Wisconsin presidential primary on April 2. On the Republican ballot, 77.9% of Wisconsinites had voted for Trump, while Biden led by 87.6% on the Democratic ballot.
The 2024 presidential election cycle comes amid a political landscape dominated by campus protests calling for divestment from Israel and issues such as abortion, the economy and health care.
After his first successful bid for the presidency in 2020, Biden is on the campaign trail asking for a second term to “finish the job.”
Republicans criticized Biden throughout his presidency for what they see as rampant spending in his economic policies, and he has caught fire from progressives for his opposition to encampments on college campuses protesting the war in Gaza.
In April’s Democratic primary, roughly 32% of University of Wisconsin-Madison voters voted “uninstructed” as a protest vote against Biden’s policy on Gaza, with 8.4% of voters statewide also voting “uninstructed.”
Ahead of the 2024 election, student loan forgiveness also remains a key issue for the Biden administration.
Biden unveiled the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan during his visit to Madison in April. The plan forgave $13.8 million in student loan debt for almost 2,000 Wisconsinites, according to a White House press release. The White House also said a total of 44,380 Wisconsinites have been approved for $2 billion in debt relief.
Abortion is expected to persist as a top issue on the ballot for Democratic voters in Wisconsin. The 2024 Marquette Law School poll found roughly 24% of Democratic voters declared abortion to be their most important issue.
The Biden administration said they intend to protect abortion access across the U.S. through executive orders and pressure Congress to pass the federal protections guaranteed in Roe v. Wade before it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022. Infrastructure is one of the biggest policy goals of Biden’s administration, with the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
securing $1.2 trillion for expanding roads, broad-
band access and clean water across America.
These initiatives are dominant in Wisconsin where the Biden administration has made numerous campaign stops to tout apprenticeship programs and labor unions. Most recently, Harris visited Milwaukee in May to emphasize the administration’s efforts to bridge homeownership gaps and promote small businesses.
Wisconsin will receive additional funding for highways, bridges, public transit options, airports and EV charging stations over the course of next year, according to the Department of Transportation.
While facing four separate criminal indictments and losing his first bid for a second term to Biden in 2020, Trump is back on the campaign trail.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley emerged as a serious challenger to Trump and was still able to gain 12.8% of the vote in April’s Republican primary, even after dropping out of the race, signaling discord with Trump in the GOP.
The southern border has remained one of the biggest issues for American voters, with a February Gallup poll showing 28% of Americans claiming
tects undocumented children brought to the U.S. from deportation.
Undocumented immigrants play a pivotal role in Wisconsin’s economy. The state’s $45.6 billion dairy industry relies heavily on labor from Central American migrants as many farmers view them as a cheap and largely unregulated source of labor, according to ProPublica.
A major controversy of Trump’s campaign is his link to Project 2025, a plan that would use executive order Schedule F to fire dissident government employees and use presidential appointees to dismantle the Departments of Education and Energy and enact conservative reform, as outlined in the ninth edition of the Heritage Foundation’s “Mandate for Leadership.”
LGBTQ+ and climate activists criticized the plan’s goals to rescind legal recognition of trans people, label material relating to gender identity as “pornography” and pressure state governments to acknowledge only heterosexual marriages, as reported by PBS.
The plan would also cut funding to government organizations that promote the scientific consensus that human activity is responsible for climate change and would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which it labels as “climate fanaticism.”
A lack of action on climate change would severely damage Wisconsin’s complex ecosystem through its effects on the migratory patterns of wildlife, and result in a crippled agricultural sector according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
While on the campaign trail, Trump dodged questions on a national abortion ban, saying it should be “left to the states” in a video posted to Truth Social. As president, Trump nominated three of the six Supreme Court justices who issued the concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the case that overturned constitutional protections for abortion established in Roe v. Wade.
immigration to be the most important problem facing the country and 55% claiming that “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” is a critical threat to the nation.
Stephen Miller, who worked on Trump’s immigration policies during his first term, told the New York Times that if elected, Trump “will do whatever it takes” to secure the southern border.
Trump has vowed to carry out mass deportations and reinstate policies like Title 42 — a COVID-era policy that allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants to Mexico without allowing them to claim asylum.
Miller further said Trump would again try to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which grants work permits to and pro -
eral spending and the Federal Reserve increasing the money supply during lockdowns, and he promised to practice “responsible fiscal management” in the Senate.
Baldwin defended abortion rights and wrote the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, a bill that would guarantee access to abortion in every state.
Meanwhile, Hovde previously said he “totally opposed” abortion and was “100% pro-life” in his 2012 U.S. Senate campaign.
Hovde said in a May 19 interview with WISN’s UPFRONT he would like the issue to be decided by Wisconsin voters in a referendum and that he supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. He also said it was “reasonable” to support a ban that fell between 12-15 weeks.
One of Baldwin’s major areas of legislation is the opioid epidemic, referencing her mother, who suffered from an addiction to opioids.
Under the Trump administration, Baldwin voted for the bipartisan INTERDICT Act that gives U.S. Customs and Border Protection more tools to stop the trafficking of fentanyl from Mexico and China. She has also more recently introduced the Naloxone Education and Access Act to increase the availability of opioid overdose reversal drugs nationwide.
Connecting the opioid epidemic to the crisis on the southern border, Hovde said Democratic border policies have “empowered cartels” to traffic fentanyl into the U.S. and that this, combined with the increased stress placed on hospitals by migrant crossings, has endangered the lives of American citizens.
While the National Institute on Drug Abuse reported that the number of drug overdose deaths has increased since Biden took office — following a trend that began during the COVID-19 pandemic — hospitals in the U.S. have faced difficulties in distributing resources in recent years mainly due to the effects of the pandemic, according to the National Library of Medicine, not the result of increased numbers of migrants accessing health care.
Additionally, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in May that Trump “won’t commit” to accepting Wisconsin’s presidential election results if he does not win.
“If everything’s honest, I’d gladly accept the results,” Trump told the Sentinel. “If it’s not, you have to fight for the right of the country.”
Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin faces Eric Hovde, a multimillionaire businessman from California, in this year’s Wisconsin Senate race.
On the economy, Baldwin promised to support the American industry by voting for policies that require building materials be manufactured in the U.S. to diminish the power of foreign interests, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will create jobs in the manufacturing, transportation and construction industries.
In 2022, Baldwin also helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that lowers drug prices by making drug companies negotiate with Medicare and caps the cost of insulin at $35 per month.
Hovde attacked Biden and Baldwin for inflation and the increasing national debt, something he claimed places a $265,000 debt on individual taxpayers in his campaign ads.
Hovde blamed these developments on rising fed-
Four Madison-area Assembly Districts are also up for election this November.
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative maps into law in February, replacing ones drawn by Republicans in 2011, giving Democrats the opportunity to seize control of the Legislature if they perform similarly to how Evers did in his 2022 reelection campaign.
In the 76th Assembly District, Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, is running against Republican challenger Daniel Howell, a former mayoral candidate and class of 2024 University of WisconsinMadison graduate.
The newly created 77th Assembly District encompassing the UW-Madison campus will see a three-way battle between pharmacist Thaddeus Schumacher, 22-year veteran of the Dane County Board of Supervisors Chuck Erickson and attorney Renuka Mayadev — all Democrats.
The 78th Assembly District will see an election between Rep. Sheila Stubbs, D-Madison, and Maia Pearson, a Democrat and Madison School Board member.
Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, the current 78th Assembly District representative, is running unopposed in the 79th Assembly District after incumbent Rep. Alex Joers, D-Madison, announced he will run in the new 81st District.
Memorial Union Holt Center
Union South
First Congregational Church Smith Hall
Gordon Dining & Event Center
Chazen Museum of Art
Nicholas Recreation Center
Hillel at University of Wisconsin Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5th
Those who are still in line at 8 p.m. will still be allowed to vote.
Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays rocked the Sylvee on April 24, performing their 2022 critically acclaimed album “Blue Rev” and fan favorite tracks like “Archie, Marry Me” and “Dreams Tonite” during their fifth stop in their U.S. Spring tour.
Cheers from the sold-out Sylvee crowd erupted as singer-songwriter Molly Rankin, Kerri MacLellan (keyboard), Alec O’Hanley (lead guitar), Sheridan Riley (drums) and Abbey Blackwell (bass) entered the stage. A beautiful projection of the band’s logo created a dreamy ambiance as they began their set. Washed in soft azure light, it looked as if the musicians were submerged in water.
The stage production was fairly stripped down, with the projected backdrop as a main focus. Images like a glittering disco ball were overlapped with closeups of the band and their instruments, all with a continuous hazy blue hue.
Many members of Alvvays grew up on islands in the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada, making the ocean an inspiration for their aesthetic.
Alvvays opened their set with their hit single “Easy on Your Own?”, an upbeat jam with enough volume to wake up the crowd. The first line, “I dropped out / College educa-
tion’s a dull knife,” was humorous juxtaposed with a crowd brimming with University of Wisconsin-Madison students. Rankin’s yearning vocals mixed with O’Hanley’s droning, melancholic chords were visibly moving to the headbanging crowd.
Other standout tracks included “Very Online Guy” in which Rankin performed the entire vocal intensive song while crouched over, playing a synth on the floor. Reaching the high notes in this song with her angelic tone encouraged many whoops and hollers from fans. Meanwhile, vintage footage of digital paraphernalia like wires and keyboards lit up the background throughout the 1980s-inspired track.
MacLellan and Riley’s harmonic backing vocals in the fan favorite “Not My Baby” was borderline ethereal, while “After the Earthquake” brought the tempo up and had the Sylvee crowd hopping from foot to foot.
The night passed in a blur, with the band rarely stopping to talk in between tracks.
To open the night’s festivities, the New Orleans-based band Spllit brought a unique and funky sound to the buzzing venue. Spllit had a strong B-52’s influence with songs full of talky vocals, stabby bass lines and futuristic sound effects.
Alvvays choosing such a time capsule of an opener makes complete sense because their
music is often inspired by bands of the past. Rankin has described The Smiths as one of her main influences. Their jangly, dreamy guitar sound is definitely reminiscent of Johnny Marr. Perhaps this vintage aura is what drew so many young fans to The Sylvee. Their massive fanbase could also stem from Rankin’s addictive melodies. It was impossible for fans to not sing along, but paradoxically, many in The Sylvee’s pit were silent, awestruck by Rankin’s powerful vocals.
In the encore, Rankin performed an insane guitar solo on “Pharmacist,” further proving her musical talent. For their final song she asked the
crowd for requests, eventually settling on “Next of Kin” from their debut album. O’Hanley’s echoing and bright lead guitar shined in this perfect conclusion to the night.
Few crowd members had their phones out throughout the performance, a rare spectacle in a social media-obsessed world. This shows how distinct Alvvays is as a band, inspiring listeners to simply experience the moment and enjoy their music.
The Sylvee’s crowd turnout and subsequent worship of Rankin’s songwriting and vocal abilities have further proven Alvvays as icons in their genre.
It’s no secret Madison, Wisconsin holds a unique plethora of entertainment options each summer — so much so that it can be overwhelming to decide where to spend an afternoon or evening.
The Daily Cardinal compiled a list previewing just a few of the most notable arts events happening this summer.
Open Mic Night
May22-Aug.28
MemorialUnion
Free
Every Wednesday, Memorial Union will host an open mic night, welcoming all styles of music, comedy, spoken word and poetry.
Perennials
Under-A-Rest
Free
Technically, this one is already out. The University of Wisconsin-Madison a cappella group “Under-A-Rest” released their first album May 17, with covers of Beyonce, Adele and Panic! at the Disco.
Drawing in the Galleries
June6,13,20and27
TheChazenMuseumofArt
Ticketed
Owner of the classic art school Atwood Atelier and UW-Madison alum Philip Salmone
leads a group through the Chazen each Thursday in June. On the tour, participants explore figure drawing through inspiration from the Chazen.
Madison Jazz Festival
June7-16
Variouslocations
FreeandTicketedevents
Madison Jazz Festival offers 10 days of free concerts, presentations and ticketed shows, with a two-day finale at Memorial Union June 15-16.
Art Fair on the Square
July13-14
CapitolSquare
Free
The Capitol Square fair brings together over 500 artists and offers jewelry, live music and more.
Proud Theater 25
June14-15
MadisonYouthArtsCenter
Free
Proud Theater offers a safe space for young LGBTQ+ people to produce high-quality theater. Their 25th anniversary showcase is free, with donations encouraged.
“Cthulhu: The Musical!”
June15
TheBurOak
Ticketed
The puppet-led musical adapts the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu monster with the aid of a full rock band, stopping in Madison for one night at the Bur Oak during the company’s summer-long tour.
UW Cinematheque
June19-July26
4070VilasHall
Free
The UW Cinematheque is showing 18 unique films at Vilas Communications Hall this summer, open to both students and community members.
Live on Queen
June21
TheSylvee
Ticketed
Seeking to fill the gap created when “Live on King” was canceled, “Live on Queen” is a pride-themed Madison music celebration.
Make Music Madison
June21
Free
Free outdoor performances will be playing all across the city of Madison for this day of music, ranging from afrobeat, celtic, soul and more.
CapitalQ Theatre Festival 2024
June21-23
BartellTheatre
FreeandTicketed
StageQ, Wisconsin’s queer theater troupe, will host a weekend-long pride celebration, offering free workshops and masterclasses as well as ticketed showcases.
International Festival
June29-30
OvertureCenter
Free
Though not only for art, the International Festival features art and music from all around the world.
Moulin Rouge
July9-21
TheOvertureCenter
Ticketed
The Bohemian revolution hits Madison this summer in this energetic jukebox musical, stopping at the Overture Center for a fortnight.
Kindness Painted Rocks
July24-28
MemorialUnionTerrace
Free
Contribute to the Kindness Rock Project by stopping by Memorial Union and painting a rock. The event runs for four evenings.
Wine and Canvas
July26
MemorialUnion
Ticketed
Memorial Union’s Wheelhouse Studios will host an evening on instructor-led painting alongside a glass of wine.
Intro to DSLR Basics
July31
MemorialUnion
Ticketed
Learn how to elevate your photography at this event at this workshop through the functions of your camera and basics of photography composition.
Mad with Power Fest
Aug.2
TheSylvee
Ticketed
For Madison metal-lovers, the Mad With Power festival elevates the sound of heavy metal, inviting fans to head-bang all night long.
Sugar Maple Music Festival
Aug.2-3
W.G.LunneyLakeFarmCountyPark
Free
With a beautiful natural landscape, this festival immerses listeners in roots music.
Star 67
Aug.6
MemorialUnion
Free
Memorial Union hosts a variety of free, live music events each summer — this night features a female-fronted throwback band Star 67.
Hozier
Aug.16
BreeseStevensField
Ticketed
Irish indie singer Hozier is visiting Madison along the tour for his third studio album “Unreal Unearth.”
Orton Park Festival
Aug.23-25
OrtonPark
Free
The Orton Park Festival returns with music, food and vendors to create a beautiful day in the park for friends and family.
Transitioning from high school to college can be a daunting experience. It’s a time to start fresh, leave behind the high school version of yourself and embrace personal growth.
With so many changes, it makes sense to want something within your control. It makes sense to want to try and pick the perfect freshman year roommate. But going with a random roommate is ultimately the better call because it will prepare you for the unpredictability of the real world.
When I received my room assignment the summer before arriving in Madison, I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. Unlike many of my friends who had searched high and low for their “perfect match,” I chose to have a random roommate.
I understood the appeal of finding a roommate beforehand. It means less of an awkward period getting to know each other and a baseline level of trust. Especially for students from marginalized communities, finding a roommate you know you can be comfortable with can be a necessity. Because of
this, many freshmen will search thoroughly through Facebook or choose to live with a high school or childhood friend.
But living with a high school friend can come at a cost. It can put a strain on your original relationship, especially if spending time with them begins to feel like an obligation as opposed to something you look forward to.
The qualities of a good friend and a good roommate aren’t always the same. While I love my friends, I couldn’t imagine sharing a living space with them. My dormitory needed to be a place where I could decompress and relax after a long day. I wasn’t looking for a close friend as a roommate. I just needed someone to share a space with.
Opting for a random roommate opens you up to people you might never have met otherwise. No, my roommate and I never became best friends. True, I likely won’t see her again unless we have an accidental run-in on campus. But I have no regrets about living with a stranger. If given the choice, I would do it again.
I didn’t know learning to coexist with someone was one of the most enriching experiences of my
freshman year. You don’t need to love your roommate. You just need to communicate effectively and respect each other’s boundaries. We developed a mutual understanding of each other’s needs, whether it was leaving the lights on low so my roommate wouldn’t struggle to get ready for bed at 3 a.m. or knowing to leave the room if I was working on a project late at night so my frantic typing wouldn’t disturb her. Choosing a random roommate forces you out of your comfort zone and helps you develop crucial life skills. It teaches you how to live with and understand someone who might be very different from you, which is a valuable tool in any stage of life.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about random roommates. Living with a random roommate can result in a range of outcomes. You might end the year with a best friend, an enemy or just an acquaintance. Regardless of the outcome, the experience itself is invaluable. It pushes you to develop empathy, patience and problemsolving skills that are crucial in any relationship.
A random roommate can also
help you expand your social circle. By not limiting yourself to someone you already know or someone who fits a specific profile, you open yourself up to new perspectives and experiences.
So take the gamble on a random roommate. It might be challenging at times, but the personal growth and life lessons you’ll gain are worth it. Embracing the uncertainty and learning to live with someone different from yourself is an essential part of the
college experience.
You might find that the random roommate experience is one of the most rewarding aspects of your freshman year. And if nothing else, you’ll have a crazy story to tell.
Lillie Sunby is a sophomore studying psychology, communications and political science. Do you agree that taking a chance on a random roommate is the right move for college freshman? Send all comments to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
John Stecher’s journey from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to a world-class Alternative Investment firm is a lesson for all students: stay determined and embrace collaboration.
John Stecher sits in an office in New York City, reflecting on a career trajectory that most young professionals can only dream of.
Today, he is the head of Technology and Innovations at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative investment firm. But 27 years ago, he was only a computer science freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Stecher, a UW-Madison alum, commands a crucial role as the chief technology officer at Blackstone. His journey from the collegiate labs of Madison to the executive offices on Lexington Avenue
embodies professional growth, determination and the power of collaboration.
Many incoming students may look to technical proficiency as the only cornerstone of corporate success. But Stecher’s journey from UW-Madison to Blackstone illustrates that success also depends on embracing hard work, strategic thinking and an innovative spirit. Adopt these principles as your tools to transform challenges into opportunities and aspirations into achievements.
Stecher began his rise to Blackstone at IBM, where he was awarded the title of Master Inventor.
“The title Master Inventor
means that you are constantly innovating and driving forward IBM’s intellectual property portfolio,” Stecher told The Daily Cardinal.
Over his nine-year tenure at IBM, Stecher contributed to 45 patents, each addressing various complex challenges that had not been solved before. His innovations ranged from improving how computers manage their memory and resources to designing better ways to store data across different areas in a network.
This period of his career illustrates Stecher’s commitment to continual learning and an unwavering drive to pioneer solutions that had never been achieved before.
But he didn’t do it alone. Stecher, working alongside a dedicated IBM team, helped create, refine and implement solutions “that can actually be helpful in the world.”
Reflecting on his title as a Master Inventor, Stecher said it influences everything from receiving accolades — “woo, you’re a master inventor, that’s super cool!” — to developing a deeper understanding of collaboration’s role in innovation.
“You can’t make stuff by yourself. You are just a single person with a finite set of ideas, and no matter how smart you are, working together and collaborating with others is so much more effective,” Stecher said.
Following his tenure at IBM, he joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director, where he helped launch the firm’s retail
banking division.
But the primary focus for Stecher in his later years was running the engineering and product teams for Marcus, a consumer banking platform designed to simplify personal finance with user-friendly online services for savings, loans and investment management.
Under Stecher’s leadership, the team managed to “move from the first line of code to booking loans within six months, then going live by the tenth month.”
This turnaround not only showcased his ability to lead under pressure but also showed the necessity of flexible leadership in the fast-paced tech environment.
Stecher then transitioned to Barclays, serving as the chief technology officer and innovation officer for three years then moved to Blackstone to assume the role of chief technology officer.
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager with $1.04 trillion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, according to Investors Business Daily.
In his role, Stecher focuses on harnessing the power of technology to transform and enhance Blackstone’s operations. Stecher has been instrumental in migrating Blackstone to Amazon Web Services (AWS), completed at the end of 2021.
Stecher credits this move as a foundational element for the future of Blackstone, allowing for continued operational advancements.
“I looked at what would increase efficiency and enable
a highly available infrastructure that could span across the U.S. in different data centers,” Stecher said. “That was a huge part of my decision to move toward AWS.”
But Stecher said he doesn’t always jump for the newest technologies, instead looking “at the cost of making the move versus the benefit.”
From recent innovations at Blackstone, to a career-long commitment to principles of determination, innovation and collaboration, Stecher’s path to success embodies the Wisconsin Idea of lifelong learning.
Whether you’re an incoming student, or preparing to graduate next spring, consider how Stecher’s principles of relentless pursuit and strategic innovation can be applied to your studies and upcoming careers.
What solutions can you devise for the pressing issues in your field? How might you, like Stecher, drive forward the next wave of innovation?
His path from the classrooms of UW-Madison to the executive suite at Blackstone demonstrates that success is often not just about what you learn, but about how you apply that knowledge to tackle the challenges you encounter and adapt creatively at every step.
Bryson Turner is a sophomore studying computer science and economics. Do you agree that an emphasis on collaboration and a focus on innovation is the key to career success? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin
appointed Dr. Dorota GrejnerBrzezinska to serve as vice chancellor for research on May 7 and join the faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Grejner-Brzezinska holds numerous national positions relating to scientific research. She is currently a member of the National Science Board and the National Academy of Engineering, as well as a fellow at the Institute of Navigation and the Royal Institute of Navigation.
Additionally, she is the principal investigator for the NSF Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA). The ERVA looks to find new directions and opportunities in engineering research based on the current global economy and societal needs and supports the engineering community in such research.
“When I was approached by [the] University of Wisconsin-Madison, it really piqued my attention because this is a fantastic university with a great research enterprise,” GrejnerBrzezinska said.
Grejner-Brzezinska told The
Daily Cardinal she hopes to improve interdisciplinary connectivity across UW-Madison by strategically bringing different departments together on large-scale research projects. The largest federal research initiatives and industry partnerships tend to have interdisciplinary focuses and improving connectivity within the university will make UW-Madison more competitive for these types of opportunities. Though the task of managing UW-Madison’s large research program will be difficult, she said she is up to the challenge.
“Challenge can be easily converted to opportunity, and that’s what I always loved doing through my entire academic career,” GrejnerBrzezinska said.
But to become a worldrenowned researcher, GrejnerBrzezinska first had to learn the ins and outs of research herself.
She began this journey in graduate school, studying at the Department of Civil Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at Ohio State University in 1991.
“For my graduate studies and Ph. D. in particular, I studied geodetic science,” Grejner-Brzezinska said.
“Geodetic science, generally speaking,
is the area of measuring the Earth and its gravity field and anything which can fly around and navigate around Mother Earth and on Earth. I specialize particularly in the Global Positioning System.”
Geodetic sciences can encompass a variety of different academic fields such as engineering, astronomy, and geography. With such interdisciplinary research, it was necessary for Grejner-Brzezinska to collaborate with scientists in various departments throughout her studies. This helped develop her key pillar of research collaboration across the university, which she hopes to continue at UW-Madison.
“My own research investigation extended broadly outside my own disciplines, so I think I kind of naturally adopted and accepted very interdisciplinary teams,” said Grejner-Brzezinska.
Since then, she has held roles at Ohio State University such as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, senior associate vice president for research, corporate and government partnerships and director of the Satellite Positioning and Inertial Navigation (SPIN) Laboratory.
In her latest position, Grejner-
As Wisconsinites gear up for summer, the skies above promise a celestial spectacle worthy of attention. Here’s a rundown of the astronomical events set to captivate observers across the state through August, as outlined in the 2024 Sky and Space Calendar.
June
On June 4, Venus transitions to the evening sky, signaling its superior conjunction, when Venus is in a parallel line with Earth, with the sun in between. Meanwhile, early birds can catch a close encounter between Mercury and Jupiter.
The year’s earliest sunrise graces the sky at 5:12 a.m. CDT on June 13, signaling the beginning of summer’s longer days.
Summer solstice officially begins on June 20 at 3:51 p.m. CDT, ushering in the season of sunshine and outdoor adventures.
Night owls, stay up for the year’s latest sunset, expected at 8:35 p.m. CDT in Milwaukee on June 27.
July
On July 5 Earth reaches aphelion, its farthest point from the sun, spanning a respectable 94.5 million miles.
July 20 marks the 55th anniversary of humanity’s giant leap with Apollo 11’s moon landing.
Pluto comes into opposition on July 23, presenting an opportunity to observe the distant dwarf planet as it aligns with Earth and the sun.
August
Don’t miss The year’s biggest full moon, the Supermoon, will be visible on Aug. 1.
From Aug. 12-14: the Perseids meteor
shower peaks, offering a dazzling display of shooting stars.
Stargazing, community engagement venues Wisconsin offers fantastic venues for stargazing and community engagement.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Monona Terrace and the Wisconsin Union are excellent spots for astronomical and community events. The UW-Madison Astronomy Department offers free public observing at Washburn Observatory on the first and third Wednesday of each month. These viewings occur from June through August, weather permitting.
As summer unfolds across Wisconsin, don’t miss the chance to turn your gaze skyward and witness the wonders of space. Whether you’re a seasoned astronomer or simply intrigued by the cosmos, these astronomical occurrences offer a peek into the mysteries above. Mark your calendars, set your alarms and get ready for what awaits you this summer in Wisconsin.
Brzezinska served as the vice president for Knowledge Enterprise, alongside her titles as University Distinguished Professor and Lowber B. Strange Endowed Chair in Engineering. She will transition to UW-Madison beginning in fall 2024 to take over from interim Vice Chancellor for Research Cynthia Czajkowski. Grejner-Brzezinska said she is looking forward to connecting with students, as they are the future of research within the university.
“Of course I’ll be focusing first on the research enterprise,
Freshmen
but students are a completely inseparable part of the research enterprise,” she said. “You cannot be disconnected from what the university is doing and will continue doing towards growing the research enterprise.”
Through her experiences in guiding the expansion of university research, Grejner-Brzezinska has gained years of wisdom. Her advice for aspiring scientists and researchers? Don’t give up.
“Have an open mind, learn and don’t shy out from asking questions,” Grejner-Brzezinska said.
Madison’s weather patterns are shifting, with warmer nights and increased precipitation becoming the new normal. The city experienced an average of eight additional inches of precipitation annually since 2011 compared to the 1980s
Understanding the region’s evolving climate is crucial for new students preparing to embark on their academic journey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The transition from warm autumn days to harsh winter months presents unique challenges. Still, with proper preparation informed by science, first-year students can thrive throughout their first semester.
Learning Wisconsin’s weather trends
Wisconsin’s climate is characterized by its variability, with distinct seasonal changes throughout the year. But recent decades have seen notable shifts in weather patterns influenced by broader climate change trends.
The warmer nights and increased precipitation in Madison are part of this larger trend, impacting daily life and necessitating adjustments in how residents and newcomers prepare for each season.
September: balancing warmth and coolness
September in Madison offers a mix of summer heat and early autumn coolness. Freshmen should pack shorts, short sleeves and lightweight jackets to navigate the fluctuating temperatures. Long, breathable pants are also a practical option for comfort throughout the day.
“Layering is key,” UW-Madison rising senior Linnea Teske told The Daily Cardinal. “Madison’s weather can definitely change quickly.”
October and November: preparing for the chill
As autumn progresses, temperatures in Madison begin to drop, signaling the approach of winter. Freshmen should start incorporating warmer clothing, including long sleeves, sweaters and light coats or jackets.
“Coming from California, I wasn’t really sure what to think about Madison and packing for it so far as weather goes. I knew it was cold, but I didn’t realize how much it would vary,” said Mahati Kotamraju, a rising sophomore at UW-Madison
Additionally, it’s advisable to pack hats, gloves and scarves to stay comfortable during brisk autumn mornings and evenings.
“Be sure to bring plenty of comfy clothes for the in-between weather and in general — you’ll wear them more than you might think,” said Kotamraju.
December: embracing winter’s full force
December marks the arrival of winter in Madison, bringing with it freezing temperatures and snow. Freshmen should equip themselves with long sleeves, sweaters and insulated outerwear such as hooded, windproof coats or parkas. Thick, warm joggers or winter jeans work best for bottom wear.
“Madison winters are as intense as your final exams,” Kotamraju said.
Each season in Madison brings its own charm and challenges, offering a unique backdrop to the college experience. Embrace the variety and make the most of what each season has to offer–from the vibrant autumn leaves to the serene winter snowscapes. With the right preparation, Madison’s ever-changing weather will become a cherished part of first-year students’ time at Madison.
With the addition of Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC to the Big Ten Conference, Wisconsin sports fans and athletes will experience changes in travel, rivalries and gamedays.
By Annika Bereny SPECIAL PAGES EDITOR EMERITUSTwo years ago, the news that the University of Southern California and UCLA would leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten swept through the sports world. It would be a tough blow for the Pac-12, but rumors circulated that Boise State or San Diego State would be added to offset the loss. It was by no means a fatal wound. Then, just 10 months ago, everything fell apart.
The University of ColoradoBoulder Board of Regents announced they would rejoin the Big 12 conference in July 2023, having left it for the Pac-10 just 12 years prior. That opened the door for Oregon and Washington to jump to the Big Ten, while Arizona, Arizona State and Utah would soon after defect to the Big 12, joining Colorado. By August, four teams were remaining in the Conference of Champions.
Today, there are only two.
Despite the Big Ten arguably landing the killing blow on college sports’ most successful conference — they didn’t call it the Conference of Champions for nothing, folks — the Big Ten will now look to create enough good television to absolve themselves of that blame. As the fall approaches and the Big Ten draws closer to becoming the Big 18, what will this new conference look like? And what are the changes that fans may see this inaugural season?
The bad
Ignoring even some of the more inexplicable conference realignment moves — why are two colleges on the San Francisco Bay in the Atlantic Coast Conference? — every pitfall of this move will be because of the new distance between conference opponents. Yes, these are new teams with their own rich histories, but the most visible and vital changes will be felt because of the distance.
Travel challenges for athletes and fans will be the major downfall of this realignment. Schools will need to spend more money on flights to the West Coast, and former Pac-12 teams will have to fly cross-country for practically every away game.
Yes, Rutgers and Maryland were conference members despite being on the East Coast, but a flight from Wisconsin to Maryland is only around two hours. A flight from Wisconsin to Los Angeles is six. For sports like softball, a three-game weekend series just became a four-or five-day process.
Eight players from the University of Washington have already entered the transfer portal, including ace Ruby Meylan. With these losses, the team will only return one starter next season. On social media, some have theorized that these moves
have been because players don’t wish to travel cross-country each weekend. With these transfers and graduating seniors, the program may not have a single pitcher who has pitched in college next year, a sad turn for a program that just last year went 44-15 to advance to the Women’s College World Series.
Temperature will also be a significant factor in this change. Midwest winters are cold, and teams from the West Coast will have to acclimate and train to play — and play well — in those climates. Much of the allure of West Coast schools is the beautiful weather for athletes to play in. With this move, many may realize this isn’t what they signed up for.
Perhaps the saddest casualty of this move, however, will be the loss of rivalries and, with it, the electricity of gamedays against a team you really, really want to beat. Washington and Oregon both lose their archrivals in this move, and fans will be far less likely to schlep crosscountry to cheer on their team in a conference match-up.
And while games against timehonored rivals like Minnesota and Iowa will likely be protected, the growing of the conference will make it so that the Badgers don’t face off against other conference rivals every year. The loss of old rivals and the inability to create new rivals with the size of the conference will ultimately lead to less excitement around each game.
Distance may be the killer with the new, expanded Big Ten, but whether athletes and fans alike allow that to harm their love of the games will be up to them this next year.
The good
It certainly will be exciting television. There will be a rematch of the 2024 College Football National title game in October, and teams that have only played each other at Rose Bowls before will meet. The excellence brought by these four teams will be a spectacle to watch as the year progresses, and the money and viewership will surely flow in, as intended by the move.
USC’s Juju Watkins will visit the Kohl Center this season to face off against Badger Women’s Basketball in a matchup that may very well sell out. USC spent the offseason racking up transfers like Stanford’s Kiki Iriafen and will look to live up to the ‘superteam’ name that many in the media have given them.
UCLA softball, currently fighting in the Women’s College World Series for their 13th National Title, will pose a significant threat to Northwestern’s dominance over the Big Ten, and the level of play that former Pac-12 teams enter on will allow the Badgers to elevate their own gameplay by facing off against likely-ranked opponents.
While historic rivalries will suffer, new rivalries can now be formed. For far too long, the University of WashingtonSeattle has gotten away with being called UW — phonetically UDub — and now the Badgers can show their dominance in a UW-off.
Similarly, a game against the Oregon Ducks may finally show Wisconsinites the correct pronunciation of the state’s name (not to be con-
fused with Oregon, Wisconsin, which is pronounced differently, for some reason).
And as much as the temperature will be a genuine factor in the outcomes of games, Badger fans will surely delight in chirping at Southern California schools forced to play football during a midwest November. Those who hit the road for an away game may also be treated to warmer temperatures and a nice vacation while cheering for the Badgers.
For all of the changes that will be occurring, not all of them are negative. The silver linings may be thin, but they are still there.
Aside from the changes Badger fans will feel, how will this change go for athletes?
The four teams joining the Big Ten are all traditionally good at football and will by no means serve as easy wins for the Badgers to rack up.
Washington competed in the title game just earlier this year against the Michigan Wolverines and will look to build on its success. Oregon went 12-2, and UCLA and USC both went 8-5 last year. For them, too, it’ll be a large change going from being the best of the conference to regularly matching up against top Big Ten teams like Michigan and Ohio State.
This fall, Badger Football will be facing off against the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks to begin the new era of the Big Ten. Both of these schools just lost their Heisman-finalist starting quarterbacks, Caleb Williams and Bo Nix, respectively, to the NFL Draft and are likely looking
to both returning players and transfers to lead up their offense for the next year.
Unfortunately, the Badgers are in a similar position, with Tanner Mordecai signing with the San Francisco 49ers and Nick Evers transferring to the University of Connecticut. Wisconsin will look between Senior Transfer from Miami Tyler Van Dyke and redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke to fill the QB spot against foes both new and old.
In Volleyball, too, the Badgers will face off against new conference foes, though volleyball will play all four teams rather than just two. Oregon and Washington will visit the Field House this fall, and the Badgers will have to travel to Los Angeles to face off against the Bruins and Trojans.
While Oregon and USC are perpetually good and will pose a real challenge, Washington and UCLA may be easier opponents for a Badger team that looks to continue their streak of dominance and win another national title.
Ultimately, conference realignment is a ridiculous, unnecessary move that will likely have more drawbacks than benefits, but it is also what we are stuck with for the foreseeable future.
Sports have always been something that brought people together, and whether it was the gentle teasing after an Axe game from a former Badger to a Golden Gopher or the community found in sharing a hot dog with a stranger at a tailgate, the sun will still rise in the morning and the games will still go on.
Fans and athletes alike will learn to live with these changes, and maybe, one day they’ll even come to love them.
