Spring 2025 Farewell - Thursday, April 24, 2025 - The Daily Cardinal

The class of 2025 can’t find jobs

By Elijah Pines

FINNEGAN

Henry Vilas Zoo offers free escape

By Alaina Walsh & Ella Hanley ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR & COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR

A short walk from University of Wisconsin-Madison’s lecture halls and dorms reveals a different kind of campus where polar bears plunge, badgers scurry and capybaras do what they do best — loaf.

Welcome to Henry Vilas Zoo: a 28-acre urban zoo housing over 650 animals that’s free to the public — a hidden gem in the heart of Madison that’s redefining the way its visitors connect with wildlife.

Unlike many traditional zoos, Henry Vilas isn’t just about seeing animals, it’s about understanding them. The zoo, which is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), remains one of few free-admission facilities of its kind in the country. Its mission takes a different approach to conservation, emphasizing empathy.

Henry Vilas works with the Advancing Conservation Through Empathy (ACE) for Wildlife network, a network of different zoos and aquariums who strive to use empathy in advancing conservation efforts and motivating people to take action on behalf of animals.

Henry Vilas staff developed what they call an “Interpretive Master Plan,” which aims to shift public perception of animal residents, particularly those that often get overlooked or feared, such as cockroaches, spiders and snakes.

Using animal’s names, rather than just knowing their species, shows that guests feel more empathetic and are more likely to take action on their behalf, according to Jess Thompson, former keeper and current education and conservation curator at the zoo.

“It’s way easier to feel a connection to Monty the snake than it is to some random, faceless snake,” Thompson told The Daily Cardinal. “Saying things like, ‘snakes really like to rest after they have a big meal. Do you like to rest after you have a big meal?’ helps people relate [and] realize that we are more similar than they may have thought.”

From signage highlighting animal preferences to naming every resident — even the so-called “unhuggables” — the zoo’s efforts have a measurable impact.

The zoo focused heavily on the herpetarium, an area that houses snakes, turtles and frogs.

“We’ve told a few stories about Rio the rattlesnake, who hitchhiked here on a truck and how we’ve been able to provide him a safe space,” Thompson said. “Some of the comments that we’ve been able to hear since then have been really cool, people saying things like, ‘Oh, I’m so glad he’s safe’ and using his name.”

Henry Vilas conducted pre and post surveys to measure their success with the grant money they received through their partnership

with ACE for Wildlife.

“We looked at what people were talking about around all of our signs and how much time they were spending with them before we made any of the changes, and then again afterward. And we definitely saw an increase in empathy indicators,” Thompson said.

Now, the zoo is working to translate that empathy into action, helping visitors find ways to support conservation efforts in their own lives.

Scientific research and education are also central to the zoo’s mission. As an AZA-accredited institution, Henry Vilas participates in studies aimed at improving care for both captive and wild animals.

“We have animals here so that we can help their counterparts in the wild, and so that they can act as ambassadors. And so one of the ways that they can do that is by participating in scientific projects. We have done a bunch of projects throughout the years with a lot of different species,” Thompson said.

These research projects not only contribute to conservation efforts in the wild but also deepen zookeeper’s understanding of animal health and behavior. That knowledge is applied directly to the care of the animals at Henry Vilas, often in surprisingly collaborative ways.

“Our keepers work really hard on training, and so they do a lot that helps our animals participate in their own

Mnookin condemns Trump’s ‘intrusion’ into universities

By Annika Bereny & Ella Hanley SENIOR STAFF WRITER & COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin signed an open letter Tuesday condemning the Trump administration’s “unprecedented political interference” in public research funding, joining over 220 other higher education leaders.

The letter, published by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, follows Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration, which froze billions in funding after the university refused to comply with a set of demands it described as wielding “unprecedented and improper control.”

UW-Madison has similarly been targeted by a federal investigation into campus antisemitism that could threaten its federal funding.

Academic leaders wrote that higher education institutions are “essential to American prosperity,” arguing that the administration’s “undue intrusion” puts that prosperity at risk.

The Trump administration has also targeted other higher education institutions, including Cornell University and Northwestern University, both of which experienced funding cuts — a threat now being leveraged against other schools nationwide.

“The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society,” the open letter states. “On behalf of our current and future students, and all who work at and benefit from our institutions, we call for constructive engagement that improves our institutions and serves our republic.”

Mnookin updates campus community on federal relations

Mnookin also released an end-of-semester update letter to faculty and staff Tuesday, saying higher education is a “big part of what makes this country great” and calling the research compact between the United States federal government and its universities “the envy of the globe.”

“The cuts that have been proposed at the federal level could have devastating impacts on research as well as education,” she wrote. “They will inevitably impact the next generation of scientists and inventors. They will also harm our national security and our ability to be competitive in developing critical new technologies on a global scale.”

Federal funding and research grants make up approximately 30% of the university’s current revenue, a percentage that has remained relatively consistent over the past five decades.

UW-Madison academic experts argued in a panel last week the United States risks ceding its global leadership in scientific discovery and economic growth without sustained federal investment.

UW-Madison is currently appealing funding decisions and participating in lawsuits aimed at preventing grant terminations and delays, Mnookin said, and the Office of Legal Affairs has issued nine declarations in seven lawsuits nationwide brought by state attorneys general and higher education partners.

Mnookin also responded to the termination of over two dozen visas in her address, building upon her column in the Wisconsin State Journal late last week that called the situation “deeply troubling.”

“The federal actions go beyond financial risk to the heart of our mission,” Mnookin wrote in her update, “including calling into question our values and even who belongs on our campus.”

She said the university is working to support students experiencing visa terminations and can connect students to legal resources.

care every day,” Thompson said. “That can be anything from voluntary vaccinations where they’ll come up and put their shoulder up against the mesh, and then we can give them a vaccination, draw blood, brush their teeth, look in their eyes, treat their paws or trim their nails.”

Henry Vilas Zoo already has strong ties with the UW-Madison Vet School.

“I don’t think the zoo would be as good as it is without our partnership with the School of Veterinary Medicine,” said Kristin Moala, marketing manager at the zoo. “They’ve done amazing things like, aside from orangutan births, we’ve had CT scans for sick animals... Dr. Snyder is basically an animal dentist, and he has done tooth extraction on our African lion.”

Their full-time vet is a former UW-Madison professor who brings veterinary students regularly to shadow her on rounds. Specialists from the

university, like dentists and ophthalmologists, treat zoo animals both on and off site.

Additionally, the zoo collaborates with engineering students who design tools and solutions to assist zookeepers in their daily tasks. Each year, the students take on a new project, tailoring their designs to meet the evolving needs of animal care and facility operations. For example, one year students created a device that zookeepers put on top of the bear roof that shoots treats into their yard, Moala said.

There are few college campuses located minutes away from a free, conservation-centered, research-driven zoo. For UW students and Madison residents alike, Henry Vilas offers more than just a break from the world — it’s a chance to connect with animals and even change the way you think about them. You might leave with a new favorite. Maybe even Rio.

City officials stress safety ahead of Mifflin Street Block Party

By Jake Wesson & Drew Wesson STAFF WRITERS

City of Madison officials held a press conference Tuesday at City Hall to discuss their staffing and emergency planning for the Mifflin Street Block Party, an event that has drawn concern from safety officials.

Mifflin, historically held on the last Saturday of April, is a well-attended event that is not sanctioned by any official entity.

Started in the 1960s as a protest against the Vietnam War, the now-annual block party has drawn strong criticism from the Madison Police Department (MPD) for the prevalence of underage drinking and unsafe behavior. Last year’s celebration saw a flipped car, 80 arrests and 11 hospitalizations.

In the past, city officials have vowed to put an end to the event. However, at the press conference, officials noted that the event will happen whether the city likes it or not.

“It’s quite inevitable that we will be seeing thousands of folks descending on the Mifflin neighborhood,” said District 4 Ald. Michael Verveer. “Whether or not we encourage these individuals to come, folks will come.”

A primary concern from public safety officials is the possibility of a structural collapse, as was the case in 2022 when a balcony collapsed and injured several attendees.

Matt Tucker, the city’s director of building inspection, said the department has helped prepare residences for the event.

According to Tucker, the department has, for decades, observed the area for any “visual defects and property maintenance-related problems and violations.”

Tucker noted that 58 properties were examined, with 26 “notices of violation” and 23 “notices to clean up.” While visual inspection of the exteriors were conducted, Tucker emphasized that they are unable to analyze interior conditions.

“Back in 2022, there was a porch that looked fine that collapsed. When that porch came down, we were able to see the rot in the wood that would not have been visually available,” Tucker said.

The city is also encouraging residents to move vehicles and to put away their valuables.

Around 150 MPD officers, including the Special Events Team for crowd control, will be deployed according to MPD Captain Kipp Hartman. Bikes, mounted patrol and drones will be utilized as well. Assisting agencies include both the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

“Attendees are encouraged to reach out to any officer if they need help,” Hartman said.

MPD’s new Amnesty Through Responsible Action policy will be in effect during emergencies at Saturday’s event.

The policy states that citations for underage alcohol violations will not be issued to callers and victims who request medical assistance as long as the caller remains with the victim and cooperates. If someone is the victim of a crime, a citation also wouldn’t be issued.

“Being a victim of a crime or needing medical attention is always going to come first,” Hartman said. “Underage drinking is something that is not going to be the primary focus at that time.”

Amid this policy change, officials still urged caution and awareness for the attendees.

“Frankly, students will come,” Verveer said. “The message is, please be safe.”

COURTESY OF THE HENRY VILAS ZOO

MARY BOSCH/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Wisconsin’s Hmong community is still healing as diaspora turns 50

Hmong Wisconsinites celebrate community milestones and resilience as 2025 marks 50 years of Hmong diaspora.

By Anna Kleiber STATE NEWS EDITOR

Born in Laos amid the Vietnam War to Hmong refugees, all Mai Zong Vue knew was war. After fleeing persecution in 1975, Vue spent five years of her adolescence in Thai refugee camps before arriving in Wisconsin as a teenager in 1980.

“When we came to America, to Wisconsin, the government didn’t embrace us,” Vue told The Daily Cardinal. “We were on our own, which is really sad, but we are proud people.”

Vue has spent her entire career working to support and uplift refugee communities. For 20 years Vue worked for the Wisconsin State Refugee Office as a program specialist, working to help create nonprofit organizations for women, such as the Refugee Family Strengthening Program.

Now as the chief operating officer at The Hmong Institute, a nonprofit Vue co-founded in 2018, Vue continues her mission to preserve Hmong culture and provide support to a community that is often left behind.

2025 marks 50 years of continued Hmong history and resilience after the diaspora. The Hmong Institute has planned a series of events to provide a space for the community to reflect on a history of resilience and healing, while looking toward the future to address community educational needs.

Today, Wisconsin has the thirdlargest Hmong population in the United States, with more than 58,000 Hmong residents. With 12,566 residents, Milwaukee County has the largest Hmong population in the state, followed by Marathon (6,414) and Dane (5,901) counties.

“[The Hmong] did this all by ourselves… We expected that because our community was new and we don’t have the capacity to support them, that they would be behind,” Vue said. “Our hope is that this is a foundation for the Hmong community and for many years to come.”

From Laos to Wisconsin

During the Vietnam War, the CIA recruited the Hmong in Laos to fight in support of the U.S. against the North Vietnamese and the communist Pathet Lao in Laos, an operation that became known as the Secret War.

“When General Vang Pao left, he was the last one to leave,” Executive Director at New Beginnings for Refugees Yee Leng Xiong told the Cardinal. “Many of the Hmong individuals still stood on the tarmac waiting for planes to arrive, but no planes came back again.”

Those left behind were forced to flee to refugee camps in Thailand to escape persecution from the communist governments of Laos and Vietnam. It is estimated that 35,000 Hmong people, more than 10% of the entire Hmong population in Laos, died as a result of the Vietnam War

and its aftermath.

Initially, the U.S. government wanted to hide that the Hmong community participated as allies during the Vietnam War, Xiong said.

“They attempted to just leave and let it be… but it was because of the good grace of many of the churches in the U.S. that fought hard to bring Hmong individuals to the United States,” Xiong said.

From the 1970s through the early 2000s, Hmong refugees arrived in Wisconsin in waves, legally admitted to the U.S. as political refugees.

In Wisconsin, church organizations such as Catholic Charities and Lutheran Social Services worked to bring Hmong families to the state with area churches sponsoring their resettlement. Vue’s family was one of them.

Through a church sponsorship, Vue’s family settled in Kimberly, Wisconsin in 1980. Her family became permanent residents after two years, and in five, they became U.S. citizens. When Vue started school, she didn’t speak English and said she had to learn quickly in order to serve as a translator for her family. In school she was seen as an outsider and experienced racism from her classmates.

Upon resettlement to Wisconsin, Hmong refugees faced racism and discrimination. A 1975 Gallup poll found that only 36% of Americans agreed that the U.S. should resettle Southeast Asian refugees with 54% opposing resettlement. In rural, predominantly white cities like Wausau, residents spread rumors that Hmong refugees stole dogs to eat.

But despite pushback, Hmong refugees worked to build a strong foundation for the next generation and “chase the American dream and also contribute to other people’s dreams,” Xiong said.

Hmong veterans remain left behind, despite their service

There are less than 250 Hmong veterans left in Wisconsin, Xiong said. Those veterans have still not been officially recognized by the federal government or the state of Wisconsin, even after 50 years of diaspora.

“They contributed with their lives, blood, sweat and tears, and they also contributed to our economy — the thriving of the American dream — yet they are not able to access any of the resources that are available through VA or anything else,” Xiong said.

More than 30,000 Hmong soldiers fought in the Secret War, but because they were a part of a CIA-run paramilitary force and not the U.S. Armed Forces, they do not meet the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ definition of a veteran. Therefore, Hmong veterans are not officially recognized U.S. veterans and are ineligible for benefits.

“The Hmong elders, the veterans are kind of mad at the United States. When you wanted us to fight for you during the war, you didn’t ask whether we were citizens or not. Now when you are playing the card, ‘you’re not a citizen, so therefore you’re not getting any veteran’s benefits,’ they have every right to be angry,” Vue said.

Xiong recalled a time when he spoke with a U.S. Armed Forces veteran at a Veterans Memorial Day event that told him the reason he was still alive today was because of the Hmong veterans. In addition, he said that a local Hmong veteran told him that he “gave up his bed at the village” so his American counterpart could stay safe and survive in the jungles.

Calls to recognize Hmong contributions past and present

In January, lawmakers reintroduced legislation that would formally recognize Hmong and Laotian soldiers for their service during the Vietnam War.

While the bill won’t grant Hmong veterans access to federal benefits, it would correct state statutes to “ensure that their service to freedom and our country will not be forgotten,” according to the bill’s co-sponsorship memo.

This bill isn’t the first time the state Legislature has taken up proposals to recognize Hmong people and veterans in Wisconsin.

In 2021, Gov. Tony Evers proclaimed May 14 as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day in Wisconsin, and in April 2024, Evers signed a bipartisan bill into law that requires public schools in the state to include Hmong American and Asian American history in their K-12 curriculum.

Kong Pheng Pha, an assistant professor of gender and women’s studies and Asian American studies at the University of WisconsinMadison, told the Cardinal that everybody wins when they take time to understand the “different people, cultures and histories” that make up Wisconsin.

“Hmong communities really are a fundamental part of the state of Wisconsin in so many ways from politics to economics rights to just the social fabric in general,” Pha said.

Even with small steps taken to recognize the Hmong history, Xiong believes the Hmong deserve more credit for the community’s significant contributions to the state, including the state’s workforce in key industries and business landscape.

“[The Hmong] saved the ginseng industry in central Wisconsin…they were farmers, butchers and production line workers,” Xiong said.

“Because of their contributions, not only during the war, but also their contributions to the economy, they have now been able to build a strong foundation for many of the younger generations.”

Manufacturing is the leading industry for Hmong workers, employing 38% of the Hmong workforce, followed by educational services, health care and social assistance sectors, according to a 2020 statistical overview by the Applied Population Lab and The Hmong Institute.

Vue noted that often people only want to talk about the past struggles and the initial resettlement of the Hmong people instead of the issues the community still faces today.

“We’ve been here for 50 years now. When people cover our community, it should be about daily issues we are facing and the contributions that we make to society,” Vue said.

In 2013, The Hmong Institute started the Hmong Language and Cultural Enrichment Program (HLCEP) to boost self-esteem and provide cultural support to Madison Hmong students after Madison school district data showed academic gaps in reading and math. Vue said that by helping Hmong K-12 students develop a strong cultural identity, they can increase academic success.

While programs like HLCEP and Hmoob Kaj Siab — a program that provides mental health case management, support and health educational services — help bridge community gaps, Vue wishes there was more support from the government for Hmong elders.

“I think we can do a better job to uplift the Hmong refugees…All the education about why the Hmong come to the United States is done by the Hmong elders, the veterans who come here with so much pain,” Vue said. “We matter.”

The changing face of activism at UW-Madison

By Kaylie Wiedmeyer LIFE & SYLE EDITOR

Liv Abegglen, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, practices activism by tearing down anti-immigration posters on her way to class, talking about political issues with friends and encouraging people to vote — more passive methods than her first act of protest.

She still remembers the first protest she attended, sparked by the firing of a Black security guard at her high school. A student repeatedly used a racial slur, and a security guard called out their offensive behavior. However, the school fired the guard because he repeated the slur while addressing the incident. In response, Abegglen joined other students in a walkout to protest his termination. Thanks to their collective efforts, the school district ultimately rehired the guard.

Today, Abegglen doesn’t attend inperson protests as she works to balance school and professional goals.

“I’m kind of afraid of legal trouble. I also want to go to med school, and I want to keep a clear background check,” Abegglen told The Daily Cardinal.

Many factors, including a lack of focus, legal pressures and social media, have contributed to shifts in political activism among UW-Madison students, who seem to be more scattered in their activism initiatives than in the past.

UW-Madison is known for its student protest and activism culture. But today, students protest less in person — a stark contrast to campus protest history, ranging from the Vietnam War protests in the 1960s and 1970s to abortion rights demonstrations in the 1990s.

Student protests lack a clear focus, Abegglen says

Today’s activism efforts on campus are “nebulous,” Abegglen said, who feels that protest initiatives on campus have become “too vague.” She said that in order to enact more concrete change, students should protest more specific issues, like an executive order, rather than a political party.

“I think you’d be more effective if you were to protest something really specific, like protest transphobia, or some other executive order that’s terrible,” Abegglen said.

Abigail Adams, a senior at UW-Madison studying political science and Spanish, agreed, telling the Cardinal that activism efforts need to be intentional and focused around concrete goals rather than abstract ideas. Adams is the president of Amnesty International at UW-Madison, a student-led activism organization on campus, and said she has made it her goal to help Amnesty International achieve more tangible outcomes.

For example, Adams said the proPalestine encampment protests that erupted at UW-Madison last spring were backed by a good intention, but they lacked achievable goals.

During the encampments, students made demands that the university had no control over, according to Adams. For example, one of the demands asked the university to divest from Israeli-aligned companies. However, the university said it doesn’t have direct authority over investments made by the University of Wisconsin Foundation because it is an independent nonprofit organization.

“To me, that’s kind of a missed opportunity, because you have so many students that are so passionate about one specific thing, but then you’re not necessarily doing work that could be accomplished,” Adams said. “If they had a bit more time to actually fully organize a lot of that stuff and figure out who exactly they needed to be targeting and what specific policies were changeable, that would have been better.”

Adams said the encampment succeeded at gaining public attention, but in order for in-person protests to be more effective, they need to be more provocative.

“The more public pressure you have, the more likely it is that someone’s gonna listen,” Adams said.

Students lack the legal knowledge needed to properly negotiate, Adams says

Despite students’ passion for political activism, a lack of legal knowledge can lead to fear of legal repercussions that discourage them from participating in such in-person protests, according to Adams.

Abegglen said she was concerned with getting involved in certain protests, such as the encampment, for fear that potential legal consequences may jeopardize her chances of getting into medical school.

Dr. Kathy Cramer, a political science professor at UW-Madison, told the Cardinal institutions like UW-Madison have become more strict with pushing back on student activism in recent years.

During the pro-Palestine protests, the university chose not to permit the encampment, which violated a policy banning camping on university property, though Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin had the ability to carve out an exception that would have allowed the protesters to stay. Mnookin instead authorized the University of Wisconsin Police Department to remove the tents protesters set up on Library Mall and issue arrests.

Public universities receive pressure from state governments and donors on both sides of the political spectrum to maintain congruence with certain ideals, Cramer said, and some students

Yuven Sundaramoorthy becomes fastest Badger

By Molly Sheehan SPORTS EDITOR

Lining up on the grid for the Indy NXT Milwaukee Mile in 2024, Yuven Sundaramoorthy’s red and white racing helmet stood out to the Wisconsin crowd. The helmet was emblazoned with a large red W, an homage to the University of WisconsinMadison, his alma mater.

“It was a huge thing of just trying to get the Wisconsin spirit up,” Sundaramoorthy said. “I was very happy that I was able to show that and exemplify that a little bit more.”

started racing at 10 years old. Sundaramoorthy found early success in the IndyCar ladder with first-place finishes in the USF Pro 2000 Championship and U.S. F2000 National Championship. Both driver development programs focused on developing drivers on the road to the IndyCar series.

may feel less empowered if there is a lack of trust in the institution to make any real changes.

“I think it’s part of a broader public trend where there’s just so much less trust in political institutions and institutions across the board,” Cramer said. “I think students feel that, too.”

When students protest, they often ask to negotiate on legal terms with the university, and sometimes, these policies can be difficult to thoroughly understand.

“It’s just kind of something that you have to learn as a student activist —figure out how to navigate that, whether that’s finding someone who does know about it, like a professor, or finding a student that is very knowledgeable,” Adams said.

Despite these challenges, UW-Madison does more for students than it’s given credit for, Adams and Cramer said.

“I think in general, it supports student activism, and especially when you compare it to other parts of our lives, like at this campus in particular, it prides itself on being a place that is aware of issues in the world,” Cramer said.

Social media changes the landscape of student activism

Many students also use social media to raise awareness of issues and have more access to spaces for political discussion.

While this is a clear asset to student activists who want to spread awareness to larger audiences, it can also create more barriers, Cramer said.

“I’m pretty negative about social media and what it’s done for just our democracy generally,” Cramer said. “It’s designed to incentivize communication that’s provocative and angry and is going to get attention.”

Though social media provides the option to engage in activism without face-to-face interaction, it can overwhelm students by constantly bombarding them with issues.

“I think having real-life conversations are just more genuine, and a lot of political issues are important and serious enough that they should be given that sort of respect,” Abegglen said.

These types of interactions often feel more meaningful, making it easier for people to front commitment and genuine effort for a cause, Abegglen said.

The presentation of activism on social media can also overshadow the importance of direct action, Adams said. A lot of work done by student activists at Amnesty International involves policy briefs and volunteer work that often gets done behind the scenes.

“Not all activism is raising awareness on issues, and so I think that’s something that’s often overlooked,”

But this year, Sundaramoorthy’s career took a hit. His lost his sponsor, sidelining him for the 2025 season. Still, racing the Milwaukee Mile was a highlight in a dream that started years ago, and he has his eyes set on getting back in the driver’s seat soon.

Born in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, Sundaramoorthy moved out of the state at 4 years old. But his desire to return remained, as UW-Madi son had been a school Sundaramoorthy had long set his sights on.

“It was always my dream school. And so [I] finally got to go back there and keep up the racing side,” Sundaramoorthy said. “I was really happy with how everything worked out.”

At UW-Madison, Sundaramoorthy built on his already-developed racing career through Wisconsin Racing, the university’s Formula SAE team.

Formula SAE is a student design competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), focused on developing a small Formulastyle car from scratch and competing against other university teams across the country and world. When Sundaramoorthy came to UW-Madison in 2020, the Wisconsin Racing team had suffered from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We lost a bunch of members, so it was kind of a start from scratch, and a bunch of us, we were working together on figuring everything out,” Sundaramoorthy said.

But in its last event at the end of last year, the Wisconsin Racing team placed third out of over 120 participating teams, a huge improvement from the team’s struggles when Sundaramoorthy first joined.

“It was a really nice cap on my college career,” he said.

Sundaramoorthy graduated in three and a half years with a degree in Computer Science. He then moved to Indianapolis to pursue racing, a dream he had looked to bring to fruition since he first

In 2021, Sundaramoorthy became the first Indian American driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned event with a first-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, another two at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and another in the penultimate race of the season at Mid-Ohio.

That season, Sundaramoorthy’s total nine podium finishes were enough for him to finish third in the standings with 329 points.

“It was a big thing for me because I was at a point in my career where I was like, I don’t know if this is something I can keep doing,” Sundaramoorthy said. “And it kind of was that little bit of affirmation that I needed.”

In 2023, Sundaramoorthy joined Abel Motorsports on the Indy NXT grid, a developmental racing series he describes as akin to the “G League in the NBA.” That season, he drove in select rounds in the No. 57 car.

But in 2024, at the helm of Abel Motorsport’s No. 22 car, Sundaramoorthy showed flashes of his talent as a fulltime driver. He closed out the year with a season-best P2 in Nashville alongside a P3 finish at Gateway Motorsports Park in Illinois.

With two Wisconsin-based races on the calendar — the Milwaukee Mile in the 13th round and Road America in the sixth round — Sundaramoorthy said representing his home state was a big deal.

But the Milwaukee Mile hadn’t been on the calendar for years, and its return aligned with Sundaramoorthy’s rookie season.

Despite the loss of his sponsor, he’s managed to stay involved in automotive engineering. Almost immediately after the news, he was able to use his degree to land a job with Tesla as an engineer.

Now, Sundaramoorthy said he is looking to get back in the driver’s seat, and he already has his eyes set on running in the Milwaukee Mile again this year.

“I love that event, I love that track and obviously, I love the city and the state,” Sundaramoorthy said.

TY JAVIER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Adams said.

CAMERON SCHNEIDER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

life & style

Physical media is making a comeback. UW-Madison is joining

By Madison Moris

LIFE & STYLE EDITOR

There is nothing like placing a vinyl on a turntable or popping a CD into its player. Owning the music you listen to can be extremely rewarding, and students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recognize this.

“The full experience of the artist is through the vinyl,” junior Julian Wood told The Daily Cardinal, noting sound quality is better than listening online or with CDs.

Having millions of songs at our disposal through mobile devices propelled the initial decline in vinyl records and then CDs. However, UW-Madison students are part of a larger resurgence in physical media use among younger audiences. As early as 2007, global vinyl record sales started increasing every year. In the U.S., more than 43 million vinyl records were sold in 2024.

Aesthetic appeals and nostalgia have partly fueled this comeback. Wood said he got into vinyl because of his parents.

“They have a whole basket [of vinyls] in the basement,”

he said “It’s just fun to browse through them.”

Wood is a member of WSUM student radio, an organization that houses a large collection of vinyl records and CDs. WSUM also participates in Vinylthon, select days where radio stations across the world only play music from vinyl records.

Vinyl is not alone. CDs and even cassettes are experiencing higher sales. Emily Isensee, a sophomore studying communication arts, radio television and film, is a self-proclaimed member of team CD. If you are going on a car ride, you can have CDs, she said.

“You can download music, but you lose a little bit of beauty with convenience,” Isenee said.

In the pursuit of beauty, you do lose money, Wood said — “it is an expensive hobby to have.” Still, the Madison area has several secondhand music shops, including B-Side, Strictly Discs and Half Price Books.

The relative affordability of second-hand CDs influenced me to collect them. However, my music-collecting habit

My study abroad experience: Home is where the heart is

By Annika Bereny SENIOR STAFF WRITER

My TikTok algorithm has recently discovered that I’m studying abroad in Florence. Sandwiched in between baseball highlights and videos of Lady Gaga’s recent Coachella performances, I have begun to see video after video of students sobbing at the airport because their study abroad semester has come to an end, reminiscing on the best time of their life.

As I have come to adore Florence, I still scratch my head at these. Studying abroad has not been the best time of my life. It has been far from it.

Did I grow as a person? Yes! Did I learn so many things about myself and the world? Also yes. Was it an absolutely invaluable experience regardless of net happiness? Of course!

But the one thing I believe I have learned about myself throughout this past semester is that I am irredeemably American.

In the wee hours of the morning on Feb. 10 around 4:30 a.m., I was excitedly watching the Philadelphia Eagles raise the Lombardi Trophy as teal and black confetti rained down upon them after trouncing the Kansas City Chiefs. I had spent approximately six hours in that bar on a Sunday night, with my attention solely dedicated to the Super Bowl playing across about 10 screens in Lion’s Fountain, Florence’s obnoxiously American Irish Pub.

Weeks later I stayed awake from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. watching the Oscars from the floor of my shared room in my apartment.

Twice I stayed up until 3 a.m. watching March Madness, and using the Wisconsin VPN to connect to my home radio sta-

started with a box of old CDs in a truck shed on the farm my dad grew up on.

Most of my dad’s CDs came from a well-known promotional offer in the 1980s and 1990s by Columbia House, ‘8 CDs for A Penny Club.’ This deal targeted rural customers who lived far from cities with record shops like my dad, who grew up in a small town about an hour and a half west of Madison and graduated in a high school class of 25 people. By signing up for the introductory offer, you could get albums on 8-tracks, cassettes or CDs for one cent.

While the company filed for bankruptcy in 2015, its impact on previous generations could be a reason physical media is making a comeback. Wood said there is value in listening to music via physical media versus on a streaming service.

“You have to commit to it. On your phone, you can easily switch songs, but not with physical media,” Wood said.

A listening experience grounded in reality may be old school, but it could be exactly what we need today.

tion felt genuinely life-saving. I do my best to connect to Florence, its culture and language that I am immersing myself in, but I also find myself unwilling to compromise on the creature comforts that life in the United States affords me: my family, my friends, drying my clothes, Trader Joe’s and the ethnic and cultural diversity that makes the U.S. so great.

Despite this, I know I will miss my walks past the beautiful Santa Croce Cathedral and the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo each morning, the abundance of museums and art in the city and my dear Conad fresh-squeezed orange juice.

With that said, studying abroad has been just as lifechanging as everyone seems to say. I’ve checked experiences like paragliding and places like Rome off of bucket lists I’ve been curating for years, I’ve explored new cities entirely on my own and most importantly, I’ve discovered that I can survive in a new country with a new culture and language.

While the keyword there is survive and not thrive, it has prepared me for post-graduate life, specifically moving to a new, unknown place, in a completely unique way and allowed me to try so many new things I never would have tried otherwise.

But after three and a half months, I can’t help but feel exhausted. Europe is beautiful, historical and new, but I miss my home.

Tomorrow when I open social media, I’ll be greeted by a barrage of posts of people saying they left their hearts in Europe. For me, I’m on my way home to recover mine.

The Daily Cardinal’s 2024-25 women’s sports awards sports

By Dylan Goldman SENIOR STAFF WRITER

This year’s Wisconsin women’s sports season was exhilarating as always. I am handing out some awards to the exceptional athletes who represented the Wisconsin Badgers in NCAA tournaments, national championships and even the Olympics.

MVP: Casey O’Brien, hockey

O’Brien’s season was greatness exemplified. The forward took home the Patty Kazmaier Award, the highest individual honor one can be awarded in collegiate women’s hockey. She led the NCAA in points (88) and assists (62), and scored a point in all but two of the Badgers’ games to become the fourth player in NCAA history to record at least 60 assists in one season. This award had many deserving candidates, including many of O’Brien’s teammates, but the senior forward’s excellence broke records and paved the way for another national championship.

Transfer of the Year: Carter McCray, basketball

It was another rough season for women’s basketball, but McCray, the transfer from Northern Kentucky, offered a bright spot for the Badgers.

She started in 29 out of 30 games for the Badgers, averaging almost 11 points and seven rebounds per game. The highlight of her season came when she scored 22 points against Northwestern. Unfortunately for the Badgers, McCray has transferred to West Virginia.

Freshman of the Year: Charlie Fuerbringer, volleyball

On a team stacked with veteran talent, Fuerbringer made her mark early and often for the Badgers. Fuerbringer ranked third in the Big Ten in average assists per game and tallied 37 service aces, the second best on the Badgers. She finished the year on the 2024 All-Big Ten Second Team and the AVCA All-American Third Team. Not too bad for a freshman.

Spring Showcase

Coach of the Year: Kelly Sheffield, volleyball

I can already hear the shouts from everyone on how this award didn’t go to Mark Johnson. Suffice it to say that Mark Johnson has ascended to a status higher than this award.

On the other hand, Sheffield did a nice job of righting the ship for a Badgers team that didn’t always click. The team started the season 0-3 but finished 26-7 with a stellar 17-3 record in the Big Ten, including a win over the national champions, Penn State. The Badgers lost in the Elite Eight to Nebraska, but that achievement should not be overlooked, even if Badgers fans have been spoiled over the years.

Game of the Year: 4-3 over Ohio State, hockey

There was simply no other option than the women’s hockey national championship game, where Kirsten Simms saved the

Badgers in regulation and overtime to lift Wisconsin to its eighth national title. The Badgers avenged their national championship loss from last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes, with Simms scoring a penalty shot goal with just under nine seconds left in regulation, and another goal in overtime to seal the title. Wisconsin came back from down 3-1 to claim national glory once again.

Badger of the Year: Kirsten Simms, hockey

Simms, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 National Championship, had a superhuman performance late in the 2025 National Championship to save the Badgers twice. Simms volunteered to take the penalty shot that sent the game into overtime. She then notched the national championship winning goal in overtime, cementing her legacy as a sensational performer in crunch time.

Honorable Mention: Phoebe Bacon, swimming

In case you needed further evidence that Wisconsin is the preeminent women’s sports school, an Olympian was beaten out for this award. Bacon represented the Badgers and Team USA last summer in Paris, where she finished fourth in the 200m backstroke. Back on home soil, she took home three golds at the 2025 Big Ten Championships and finished in third place in 200 Y Back in the 2025 NCAA Championships.

Team of the Year: Hockey

The 2025 national champions were dominant in all facets of the game. The Badgers finished 38-1-2, with their lone loss coming against national runner-up Ohio State. Wisconsin won the WCHA and ultimately their eighth national championship. In addition to O’Brien, Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards were nominees for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which was only the second time in history that all the nominees came from one school.

offers first look into 2025 season

By Yadiel Chavez SENIOR STAFF WRITER

For the first time this year, Camp Randall Stadium opened its doors to the public on Saturday, providing a glimpse into what football could look like for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2025.

Aligning with its string of spring practices, the Spring Showcase displayed what Wisconsin has planned for the third season under Head Coach Luke Fickell.

Plenty of changes have been made since the end of the 2024 season. Wisconsin hired Jeff Grimes to be its new offensive coordinator following the firing of Phil Longo. The quarterback portal additions of Billy Edwards Jr. from Maryland and Danny O’Neil from San Diego State only add onto the excitement of what the offensive attack can do.

That excitement echoed through the 12 transfer portal additions the Badgers added to their defensive unit. Among those were defensive lineman Charles Perkins and Parker Petersen, giving Defensive Coordinator Mike Tressel a boost in the trenches.

The Badgers played two 20-min-

ute halves, with points up for grabs for touchdowns, turnovers and field goals. The offense donned the red-and-white uniform combination, with Tressel’s unit wearing all white on the field.

Edwards Jr. led the first-team offense at quarterback, with redshirt freshman Dilin Jones getting the primary backfield assignment. Vinny Anthony II, Ohio State transfer Jayden Ballard and Tyrell Henry were among those on wide receiver duty. The two-hour practice commenced with the ball on the 25-yard line.

The first drive of the practice showcased a well-rounded mix of run and pass calls from Grimes. Jones fought his way for a 13-yard run on the first play of the drive. Later on, Edwards found Anthony near the sideline on a thirddown completion to keep the drive alive.

Edwards and company continued to pressure the Wisconsin defense, marching to the 6-yard line. Despite the duress, the defense stood strong with two run stops, a sack on third down and a forced incompletion on fourth down to end the nearly nine-minute drive.

Following the first-team offense, O’Neil came onto the field to lead the second-team. Notable players such as freshman Eugene Hilton Jr., Cade Yacamelli and Jackson Acker joined O’Neil.

Countering the first-team offense’s methodical drive down the field, the second-team offense intended to get yardage fast. After a handful of plays to start the drive, O’Neil unleashed a 42-yard pass through the air, finding Joseph Griffin Jr. for the completion.

With the offense at the doorstep of the end zone, Acker drove himself across the goal line for the first touchdown of the day. Clocking in at a little over three minutes of game time, the second-team offense started strong.

Edwards and the first-team offense returned to the field, but had little to add from their first appearance. A slip from Edwards on a play-action call derailed the drive from moving forward, giving the reins back to O’Neil.

The second-team offense once again marched down the field with O’Neil, finding Hilton for a big gain as the clock wound down on the first half. After

getting stopped from the end zone on three straight plays, offensive pass-interference was called on fourth down, ending the first half of practice.

Although both offenses scored one touchdown, O’Neil and his men looked more comfortable and composed in their drives compared to the first-team offense.

Opening the second half, true freshman quarterback Carter Smith came onto the field. He showcased his legs often in the drive, avoiding pressure by moving to his side and finding yardage.

Smith led the Badgers to field-goal range, only to get sacked on third down. Senior Nathanial Vakos nailed the 36-yard field goal.

Leading the first-team offense once again, Edwards’ backfield saw plenty of movement on their first drive of the second half. Jones and Yacamelli both split reps behind the projected starter. Edwards continued looking for his receivers down the field, but the coverage from Wisconsin’s secondary tightened up after the first half.

Lacking success from the air, Wisconsin shifted to the run game. That same drive, Yacamelli exploded for a 55-yard touchdown to the joy of the Badger faithful in attendance. Slipping past defenders in the box, Yacamelli went untouched once he found his second gear for the score.

Milos Spasojevic was the fourth quarterback to see action in the practice, only serving one drive. The remainder of the second half saw a quality defensive effort, not giving up any points to the offense after the Yacamelli score.

As the clock winded down to triple zeros, players from both sides of the ball came to the middle of the field and embraced each other. Fans gained the opportunity to join players on the field and take pictures with the Badgers.

After fighting for every yard during a 40-minute battle, the Badgers closed their Spring Showcase with a performance to be proud of. There’s still a way to go until their first game against Miami University, can be a step in the right direction for Wisconsin.

MOLLY SHEEHAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL

2025 Outgoing Editor Farewell: Favorite Pieces & Memories

By Zoe Kukla

arts

‘Spring Awakening’ provides a mirror into teenage sexuality

By Julia Walkowicz STAFF WRITER

Content warning: This article contains mention of rape, suicide and sexual violence.

The Department of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is performing the Broadway smash “Spring Awakening” through April 27 at the Mitchell Theatre, highlighting intimacy and sexuality in the face of social taboos.

First written in 1891, the play by Frank Wedekind explores topics of sexuality, mental health and abuse. Following a group of teenagers in a provincial town in 19thcentury Germany, Wedekind tells a story of youthful curiosity clashing with strict adult figures. While “Spring Awakening” has lived countless lives, the campus production’s director Erica Berman and Dramaturg Anna Gerbarski see the work as just as applicable to the world we live in today.

“Today, just as in 1891, adults make cataclysmic decisions and youth are left with the consequences,” Berman wrote in her director’s note. “The music in this piece, the inner worlds of these characters, shows their curiosity, imagination and radical hope for a better world.”

The bright-eyed teenager Wendla Berman (Maya Buffomante) opens the show by begging her mother to tell her where babies come from, claiming she is too old to believe in the childhood myth of a stork. Her mother’s refusal to explain highlights the “adultism” which leads Wendla and her classmates to become frustrated with their ignorance to their own sexuality.

Through a feminist retelling, Berman expresses the complex sexual and emotional development of the characters across gender.

“In our production, it was vital to allow the female characters to express sexual desire and the male characters to express emotional desire,” she wrote in her director’s note.

The childlike naivety in conjunction with bold assertiveness in the portrayal of Wendla by Buffomante characterizes

her interaction with others. In her romantic strides with the small-town golden boy Melchior (Jonathan Pufall), we see the cautious strides of young love and lust. The comradery between Melchior and his classmate Moritz (Andrew Linden), who is wracked with anxieties about his own sexual impulses, is strengthened by the chemistry between Linden and Pufall.

A score of rock music, with standout performances by ensemble members like Teddy Seward in “Bitch of Living,” paints a picture of teenage frustration, both sexually and raging against the rigid taboo that limits their expression. Through set design, adult characters like the mother and schoolteachers — many of them played by the versatile Chloe Maier — often appear on lofted structures above the teenagers, making decisions about their lives without directly interacting.

These decisions made by the adults can have fatal consequences. Through the song “And Then There Were None,” Andrew Linden (Moritz) portrays a haunting example of confusion, pain and frustration as a direct result of choices made by his schoolteachers.

“Spring Awakening” does not shy away from the topics which social taboo against sexuality often try to keep hidden, highlighting stories of abuse and rape.

The show explores the consequences of lacking informed consent in “I Believe,” where a moment of hesitation and uncertainty transforms into rape without proper sexual education.

In emotionally charged and powerful vocals, Anais Jones shines through her heart-wrenching depiction of Martha, who is assaulted by her father. The use of strong ensemble vocals highlights the pervasiveness of sexual assault, showing that Martha is not alone in her experiences.

To Buffomante, Wendla’s story must depict her as more than a victim or cautionary tale, but a symbol of the dangers of suppressing information about

A New Voice in Post-Punk: Meeting The Youth Play

By Athena Kafkas STAFF WRITER

A group of young souls huddled together, their silhouettes flickering like fireflies caught in the lamplight.

Drink in hand and descending stone steps, I could hear the muffled sound of electric guitars filtering through the walls. I jumped down from the double-decker bus and my two chunky black boots landed firmly, crushing the pavement beneath me. In London, the cars move the opposite way, so naturally my neck made five iterations of right and left, attempting to reprogram the rhythm of the streets.

Dream Bags Jaguar Shoes — the name of the venue intrigued me, and as I stepped closer, my curiosity swelled, matching the fog of cigarette smoke that drifted in slow, deliberate curls. A group of young souls huddled together, their silhouettes flickering like fireflies caught in the lamplight.

sexuality and intimacy.

“She represents the tragic consequences of a society that refuses to educate or empower young women,” Buffomante told The Daily Cardinal. “As an actor, you’re not just showing the raw emotional pain of the character, but you’re also portraying the systemic oppression that contributes to that pain. It’s emotionally exhausting, but also necessary. Telling Wendla’s story truthfully feels like an act of advocacy and the greatest gift at the same time.”

When portraying incidents of rape and suicide, Berman was careful to develop an atmosphere that was responsible when handling such intimate topics.

“We prioritized consent in the rehearsal room and made consent (or the lack of it) in the lives of these characters much more explicit. We also used the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention standards as a guidepost,” she wrote in her director’s note.

“Spring Awakening” was a hit, selling out in its first two shows and leading to limited tickets in its upcoming week. The themes of teenage frustration, generational divide and intimacy resonate with audience members.

“To be honest, I was in tears throughout the performance — the show presents an authentic view into the struggles of growing up and being a teenager, and every actor’s performance was fantastic,” said freshman Jessica Douglass.

In the eyes of Buffomante, reactions like these are exactly what makes Spring Awakening relevant in 2025.

“We’re seeing a resurgence of book bans and curriculum censorship, particularly around topics like sexuality, gender identity and mental health,” she said. “The tragic outcomes in the story are a direct result of the adults’ refusal to provide truthful information, empathy, or space for young people to question and understand the world around them. The show becomes a mirror of our current society, asking: What happens when we don’t let teenagers ask questions?”

passion for alternative music swiftly brought them together to form a satisfying blend of post-punk and shoegaze sound.

In a multitude of their projects, synthesizers have replaced guitars as the driving sound. Lyrics delve deep, exploring themes of alienation and futurism like in The Youth Play’s 2023 EP “Wildflowers.”

The Youth Play blends this classic post-punk energy with modern experimental elements, evident in the enigmatic music video spearheaded by creative director Pedro Soler. The lyrics capture a sense of urgency and introspection, weaving in a rotating array of decades-old influences like Interpol, My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins.

Despite being relatively new to the scene, The Youth Play’s members share a deep understanding of each other’s creative processes.

The gravel crunched underfoot, and neon lights bled red, casting an otherworldly glow over the crowd.

The floor swayed with bodies, all united on one fixation: we were there for The Youth Play, the band setting the city’s post-punk scene “On Fire.”

As a fan of alternative, postpunk and shoegaze music, I was eager to immerse myself in the live sound of London. Locating the underground scene was simple: the city’s heartbeat thrummed through its underground, a place where the echoes of distorted guitars and ethereal reverb still pulse in hidden corners. After all, the United Kingdom is widely considered the birthplace of shoegaze music, and its influence still ripples through the streets.

The shoegaze subgenre, named in homage to the overt tendency of guitarists to lock eyes with their pedals instead of the audience, has been simmering underground since the late 1980s. Since 2023, the shoegaze and post-punk scene in London has hit a revival. Labels have exploded with modern approaches to the musical style, creating an almost oversaturated scene of eager new bands vying for attention.

Formed by Diego Bracho (vocals/guitar), Harrison Ballard (guitar), Alex Hanrahan (bass) and Finley Bruce (drums), The Youth Play met in London. Their shared

“We understand each other quite well. We understand what the other person is trying to convey,” said lead singer Diego. This bond allows them to seamlessly blend their individual styles into a cohesive sound. Diego highlighted the flexibility of their process from the beginning: “We just started writing songs. We did not have any idea of how it was meant to sound or how it was supposed to be. It just felt right.”

Breaking into London’s postpunk and alternative scene is no easy feat. The Youth Play acknowledges this challenge, but their drive to stand out keeps them focused.

“It takes a while to break into those spaces,” said Diego. “It can feel very alienating when you’re a new band showcasing something very new.”

Harrison, the lead guitarist, added, “It’s competitive and saturated, which makes it hard. But that’s why everyone comes to London — because that’s where everything is.”

Like a secret passed through redlit rooms and foggy alleyways, The Youth Play is part of something that is quietly unfolding. Their sound shimmers with the promise of something just about to begin. Their future seems full of promise as they continue to carve their own path in the post-punk revival. With a sound that’s both nostalgic and forwardthinking, The Youth Play is poised to make waves in the London scene and beyond.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE AND DRAMA

Cardinal View: Trust your local journalist. Democracy demands nothing less

By The Daily Cardinal EDITORIAL BOARD

This is the final editorial this board will publish this year, and in choosing how to sign off, we recognize an urgent truth worth restating: journalism matters. It matters profoundly, especially now, especially here, especially after years of attacks from the highest levels of power.

In wake of Donald Trump’s presidency — a period marked by lies dressed as “alternative facts,” constant cries of “fake news” and unprecedented attacks on journalists — it’s clear that trust in journalism has been bruised, battered and severely tested. Yet, it has never been more crucial for people to defend and support the indispensable role journalism plays in sustaining our democracy.

The Daily Cardinal has been a longtime key player in the local press, strengthening its trust with local clubs, organizations, nonprofits, businesses and lawmakers. The Cardinal continues to play an instrumental role in keeping our local community informed on serious issues, including breaking former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s past statements about young voters to the UW System’s deal with the state Legislature freezing hiring for diversity, equity and inclusion positions. There is no doubt our work at this paper has an impact on Madison, as other papers should have across the country.

Local and national journalism is

more than a commodity to be casually consumed or discarded: it’s a public good, an essential foundation upon which democracy itself rests. When journalists lose credibility or when people withdraw their trust, the consequences ripple far beyond the newsroom. Communities become less informed, citizens disengage, corruption festers and democracy weakens, opening the door to manipulation and authoritarian impulses.

Support your local journalists; they hold governments accountable, illuminate hidden injustices, uncover community issues overlooked by distant powers and amplify the voices of those who may feel unheard and invisible. They connect neighbors to one another and citizens to their elected representatives, creating accountability and transparency on every level.

Take a moment to reflect on what could have been without the journalists who pushed back against deceitful narratives, without persistent fact checking, without investigations exposing abuses of power — democracy itself might have crumbled under the weight of unchecked falsehoods and rampant abuses of authority.

Journalism has been and will remain imperfect — mistakes happen — but at its core, the mission never wavers: to inform, empower and to hold the powerful accountable.

As we leave you with this final editorial, we call upon you to renew your trust, deepen your investment and

heighten your engagement with journalism. Subscribe to local newspapers, support independent and national reporting and speak out against those who aim to silence, discredit or distort the truth in this current administration. Journalism relies not just on journalists, but on the collective commitment of citizens to demand transparency and accountability.

Without journalism, democracy fades into darkness. Truth becomes negotiable and accountability vanishes. Your trust in journalism isn’t merely an endorsement, it’s a declaration of the kind of society you want to live in, one that values truth, accountability and the right to be informed.

Stay vigilant, stay informed, stay engaged. Democracy demands nothing less.

To the ‘reluctant’ future Badger: You’ll be glad you chose Wisconsin.

By Lauren Stoneman OPINION EDITOR EMERITUS

Right now, prospective Badgers around the country are taking lastminute tours, reading up on different majors and trying to decide whether they can really see themselves walking up Bascom Hill for the next four years. Some students were eager to matriculate as soon as they got their acceptance email. Others are reluctant even now.

This article is for the “reluctant” Badger. The student who grew up dreaming of hallowed halls and vine-draped walls. The student who watched Rory Gilmore, Elle Woods and just about every Disney Channel character get into the Ivy League institution of their choosing. The student who spent years getting straight As, driving to debate tournaments on the weekends and lugging around a cello at school. The student who, for one reason or another, was hoping for options other than the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Trust me. In four years, you will be glad you picked here.

As someone who attended a high school that prides itself on its college placements, I have the unintended benefit of knowing students at several top universities. I hear a lot of horror stories. Registering for a competitive class or getting face time with a professor will inevitably pit you against a swarm of other highly-competitive students, all vying for those same limited opportunities.

Extracurriculars are no less cutthroat. Ivy League students lament

month-long audition processes, comprehensive applications and even tests in order to be placed into a club. Even then, there’s no guarantee. An investment club at Yale turned away 236 applicants in 2022. I personally know of multiple students who have been cut from college debate clubs halfway through the semester.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a competitive culture; UW-Madison certainly has one. But learning to be a competitor is just one aspect of a well-rounded college experience. Students also need to be able to explore new interests that they didn’t, or couldn’t, access in high school.

The Ivy League’s ruthless academic and extracurricular culture disincentivizes this sort of experimentation, accepting students only with relevant experiences coming in.

Enter UW-Madison. Putting aside game days, Jump Around, ice cream on the terrace, four years in one of the nation’s best college towns and all of the other reasons your parents will give to make you excited about UW-Madison, our “new Ivy” status really does ring true. The faculty on campus is unwaveringly exceptional. There are boundless extracurriculars to explore. But you won’t have to fight for time with professors and you won’t have to spend your fall getting college application PTSD just to join a cappella.

You’ll also avoid the Ivy League political spotlight. After endless plagiarism, protest and free speech issues at Harvard and other Ivy Plus schools, students report journalists harassing

them on the quad, relatives pestering them at home and classes interrupted by noisemakers and megaphones. Incoming college freshmen are not blind to this political climate, and have begun to opt instead for less competitive institutions that will offer a greater sense of community.

If you’re still feeling remiss watching your friend at Princeton post photos of her eating club, remember: it isn’t just on the university to craft an intellectually fulfilling college experience. It’s on you to go to the speakers that they host, do your research before you choose your classes and keep trying

new things until you find your community. Innumerable options are available to UW-Madison students, but you’ll be in a select group of students who participate, and you’ll be noticed for it. I’d call that the best of both worlds.

From here, you can still get into your dream graduate school. You can still go to a “T14” or work at a “Big 5.” When you do, you’ll have a network that other applicants don’t have, an alumni community that you’re proud to be a part of and a union terrace that you’ll miss sitting at every day. Take it from someone who only has two more weeks to sit there.

HAILEY JOHNSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Science sit-down: Professor Line Roald breaks down the modern electric grid science

Professor Line Roald, who studies electric power grids and the integration of sustainable energy, spoke with The Daily Cardinal about her research.

By Sonia Bendre STAFF WRITER

Professor Line Roald wanted to make a difference when she joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). Now, she uses mathematical methods like risk assessment and optimization to further the development of America’s electric grid.

Roald received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from ETH Zurich, specializing in energy systems. She worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory before becoming an associate professor at UW-Madison, where she has worked for six years. Working on the electric grid fascinated Roald because of her technical work’s applications to public policy and its potential to benefit society.

“I think the electric grid plays such an important role in facilitating the energy transition and our response to climate change, but also, it’s so widely important for so many parts of society that we just need to keep it running,” Roald said. “We need to understand how to create policies that will enable us to continue moving towards cleaner energy and maintain reliable electricity at the same time.”

Roald works in the Wisconsin Power Systems (WISPO) research group at UW-Madison, an electrical and computer engineering-focused laboratory that conducts electric power systems research. Among other topics, Roald has recently been studying the impact of adverse weather conditions, particularly wildfires, on grid stability and security.

“There are multiple kinds of extreme weather expected to worsen as climate change unfolds… The grid is obviously impacted if there’s a fire that is impacting the transmission lines, but the power grid itself, at many occasions, also starts wildfires,” Roald said. “The Los Angeles fires are one of

the latest and more costly examples of power lines starting fires.”

The group has also recently published papers on optimizing power grid efficiency, as well as integrating and pricing renewable grid-based energy sources. One specific area that Roald studies is electrolyzer plants, low-emission systems that produce clean hydrogen for use as energy storage and in industrial processes. The expected energy transition from primarily coal and natural gas-based resources to renewable energy necessitates expansions to the current electric grid infrastructure, and Roald, along with other WISPO researchers, works to ensure those expansions are done securely and cost-effectively.

Along with the challenges of increased demand, the makeup of the grid itself has changed drastically in the past few years as solar and wind energy have grown in popular -

ity, Roald said. This is partially due to grassroots and governmental movements to decarbonize the energy supply, but the incentive to switch is also economic: solar and wind energy is cheaper to produce in some cases than traditional sources like natural gas and coal, which face diminishing returns as supply dries up.

Accommodating these new weather-dependent energy supplies, however, requires fundamental changes in the grid’s infrastructure.

“We have to make sure that there is enough capacity in the transmission lines to take electricity from where it’s sunny or windy to the cities and locations where people live,” Roald said.

“Because of this weather dependence, we are seeing that the power flows throughout the electric grid are changing more frequently, so that means that we need to rethink how we are using the grid and how we can support

new patterns of power flow.”

Because the flow of power from wind and solar energy can be so variable, it can be difficult to properly size transmission lines, according to Roald. Additionally, energy storage will become more important during the energy transition, because unlike coal and natural gas, wind and solar energy resources do not provide a steady supply of electricity.

The size and shape of renewable loads also affect grid stability. Roald conducts research on flexible loads, which could change their energy demand to adapt to the grid supply, and also looks at the effects of different electrical loads on grid management.

“When you have a natural gas power plant, you have this really large rotating mass… when changes happen in how much electricity we need, that can be buffered by taking kinetic energy from that rotating mass to the grid,” Roald said. “Renewable energy doesn’t have that, so how you deal with that lack of inertia is another question.”

When natural disasters strike, power lines may have to temporarily go out of commission. Mathematically modeling blackout scenarios is another aspect of Roald’s research. Roald’s research lab aims to integrate the “environmental and social context” of the grid into their mathematical models to ensure that when shutting off power is necessary, it can be done in a way that will minimize harm to affected populations.

“If you are talking about shutting down power, it matters who is losing power,” Roald said. “Is it a person who is medically reliant on power, or is it a person who maybe won’t even feel that they are losing utility power? Understanding and bringing some of those considerations into our technical models is an important [topic] that also borders on questions of policy.”

Cougar cubs found in Michigan, with implications for Wisconsin population

By Nicole Steele STAFF WRITER

In March, scientists found two cougar cubs in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Ontonagon County for the first time in more than 100 years. This county is just 20 miles from the Wisconsin border, and the cubs represent a huge victory for the species.

Cougars, also known as mountain lions, are the largest species of wild cat in the United States. Their main range extends from Alaska down to South America, with their historical range all across the U.S. and parts of Canada.

Cougars were originally native to Wisconsin, but due to habitat loss and predator control through hunting, cougars were eradicated in the early 1900s. Today, there is no true evidence of a living population of cougars in Wisconsin, but there have been sightings of individual cougars.

Male cougars are known to disperse widely across their ranges, looking for

mates, food or new territory, whereas females are less likely to disperse and prefer to stay within their native home ranges. This is why many Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) specialists believe that most individual cougar sightings within Wisconsin are male and that there is no active breeding population within the state.

The discovery of cubs, especially so close to the border, is a huge accomplishment in bringing back the species to its native homeland. A small range of cougars in North and South Dakota could be expanding their range, possibly bringing females closer to Wisconsin to eventually breed, stay and create a population.

Cougars can be easily mistaken for other wild mammals, such as bobcats and lynx. If you see a cougar, you can report an observation to the Wisconsin DNR with details such as time, place and any evidence of the cougar. Cougars are reclusive

and will tend to stay away from humans. However, according to the Wisconsin DNR, if approached by a cougar, stand tall, wave your arms, throw objects and yell. Never run and always back away slowly.

Cougars are protected by state law. Shooting a cougar is prohibited in Wisconsin unless you or your livestock or animals are threatened, and charges can be filed.

COURTESY

HAILEY JOHNSON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Congrats! You live in Eastern Europe now the beet

By Ivan Stefanovich STAFF WRITER

All articles featured in The Beet are creative, satirical and/ or entirely fictional pieces. Theyarefullyintendedassuch and should not be taken seriouslyasnews.

Comrades, rejoice! In the wake of the November Revolution, and after the long campaign that preceded it, these United States have undergone a magnificent transformation, shedding their outdated Democrat skin to embrace the robust, timetested traditions of Eastern Europe. The best part is, there is no need to pack your bags; America has already been graciously relocated to the heart of the Old World: the Balkans.

In a display of resilience that would make any Eastern European Strongman™ (credit for the term goes to Minister Rubio) proud, your esteemed leader has returned to power,

undeterred by trivialities such as legal woes or ethical considerations. His ability to weather scandals is nothing short of miraculous, akin to surviving a Carpathian winter in a speedo. All he had to do was run a deceiving campaign and visit McDonalds, like Iliescu before him. The masses, ever loyal, dismiss any opposition as the work of nefarious badfaith operatives, clearly envious of your leader’s unparalleled charisma and unmatched business acumen.

Governance has become a cherished family tradition. The leader’s younglings have taken up key roles, ensuring that policy decisions remain within the trustworthy confines of the family circle. The eldest son oversees cryptocurrency initiatives, leveraging insider knowledge to secure financial stability for the nation (the family), and for these efforts the base has rewarded him with con-

sistent top-two polling for the 2028 plebiscite. Meritocracy thrives, as positions of power are now rightly awarded based on a rigorous assessment of familial ties and loyalty.

The economy has been revitalized through a return to the glorious industrial age. Factories, once relics of a bygone era, are now regarded as temples for the cult of manufacturing. Coal has reclaimed its throne, and environmental concerns are rightly dismissed as elitist propaganda propagated by foreign NGOs. Tariffs have been imposed on imports, a bold move that has led to a delightful increase in domestic grocery (an outdated term) and will surely lead to increased manufacturing outputs and prices, fostering a virtuous sense of self-reliance within the nation.

In a triumphant stride toward administrative harmony, the people’s government has

I live on an uninhabited island called

PeterPricketistan that Trump put tariffs on

By Peter Pricket SENIOR STAFF WRITER

All articles featured in The Beet are creative, satirical and/or entirely fictional pieces. They are fully intended as such andshouldnotbetakenseriouslyasnews.

My name is Peter Pricket. Recently, Trump put tariffs ranging from 10%-99% on like every country and piece of land in the world.

And I’m not joking. Even my island, far off to the side near Tristan da Cunha, has a tariff of 76%. I picked this island because I was dealing with my past — I voted 450 times in the 2024 election among other crimes — and needed to find a plot of land that no one could find. All that lives on the island with me are penguins and southern elephant seals.

My sweet, sweet elephant seals and penguins are now in distress. I understand Trump wanting countries to treat him properly and stop smuggling drugs, but my island doesn’t even do imports and exports, and any drug deal I do is between my island PeterPricketistan and Tristan da Cunha with limited fent in the mixture.

I go to PeterPricketstan at least three times a week between classes at my university. I’m trying to get my degree and then immediately stay on my island and go off the grid.

So yeah. I’m fucking pissed. I wanted to start doing exports, too — I’ve been starting a new religion and I’ve been trying to make copies of my Bible to send to people, but with these tariffs I can’t even do my life dream. My friend Libby Demi told me she liked my religion. AND British authorities are trying to contact me. This is because Tristan da Cunha is

a British overseas territory, and apparently PeterPricketistan is too. So as if my life couldn’t get any fucking worse, I can’t even spread my religion and I found out that my beautiful home is subject to the British.

This one British agent told me that it would be better economically for me to move to a “real” country if I wanted to start a business since I live so remotely. But I’m not ready to go on the grid again just yet until my lawyer notifies me. And until then, I wanted no one to know where the religion started so it could just appear, and in university I try not to talk much unless it’s to my conservative friends because they won’t snitch on my past.

Anyway, so my life has been uprooted. The British won’t fuck off.

PeterPricketistan is fucking awesome if you were wondering. No cars, I only travel barefoot to feel connected to my former Homo Sapiens. I do have WiFi and a lava lamp, but I try not to use my devices on PeterPricketistan because a) relaxation and b) I genuinely cannot be tracked by the government. I forgot to mention — there is a strip club down the street. The strippers are from nearby; they don’t live on the island, though.

But it’s been crazy because every time I go back to university and check my emails, an influx of email and twitter dms from CNN, BBC, NBC, etc. are all asking to interview me about what it’s been like since these tariff policies. I ignore them because I have enough attention now from the feds.

Anyway, I need to go feed my elephant seal. If you want to know more about my island, hit me up.

unveiled its latest innovations in narrative management. The Associated Press, once a venerable institution of American journalism, found itself graciously excluded from White House events after declining to adopt the correct term, “Gulf of America,” over the clearly fraudulent “Gulf of Mexico.” In spite of a court ruling (fake news) deeming this exclusion unconstitutional, the people’s administration bravely persisted, rightly asserting that press access is a privilege, not a right. International relations have been recalibrated to prioritize transactional benefits. Traditional alliances have been reassessed, and new friendships have blossomed with great nations that share your commitment to strong leadership and human rights, like El Salvador and Russia. Foreign policy decisions are now graciously guided by personal business interests and

By Peter Pricket STAFF WRITER

All articles featured in The Beet are creative,satiricaland/orentirelyfictionalpieces. Theyarefullyintendedassuchandshould notbetakenseriouslyasnews.

Hello everyone.

If you’ve been following me since the fall you may have had the privilege to read my work with The Daily Cardinal. I joined the Cardinal because I took a political compass test and someone said, “Wow, you are super unique with lots of ideas,” and I thought, “damn, yeah I should try to convince people to think like me.”

Thus, my adventure began. But it really took off after that free speech policy thing Mnookin installed and my friend Libby Demi got locked up.

But truthfully, this has turned into an outlet for me to express my classes, friends, university and crimes. Remember when I saw Mnookin at a UWPD party doing ket, remember when I used to protest, remember when Hawk Tuah and I were becoming a team, when my conservative friend found out what sex is and when I graduated from PETA University?

Well, times have changed, and I’ve become a bit jaded. But it’s okay. I haven’t spoken as much about my politics, and have yet to spread how fucking smart I am.

I am graduating from the Cardinal to take a quick break. I may be back… who knows… In the meantime, I am working to take over Pete Hegseth and handle military affairs for the United States. I also am working towards dismantling all this madness. I am also trying to be a lawyer for Harvard University.

But before I leave the Cardinal, I thought I’d explain my politics.

I believe in a dictatorship. One ran by a Democrat only with coalitions inside.

I believe that everyone deserves to commit embezzlement once in their lives.

I believe gambling is okay if it’s harmless and you make at least $5,000.

I believe the University of WisconsinMadison’s student government is useless.

I don’t know what an alder is.

I think thermonuclear war should be contained and happen once between North Korea and Russia, after Russia disposes of their North Korean soldiers.

I honor free speech advocacy.

I don’t believe in war. Free Tay K.

How the fuck are we becoming pro-Russia after spending decades and decades of

relationships, ensuring that national interests are always at the forefront.

The American Dream has been utterly redefined; in the past, one could “pull themselves up by their bootstraps,” but true national pride is now based upon one’s resilience and adaptability. Egg shortages, soon to be replaced by bread lines, are once again, as Eastern European leaders presciently claimed, patriotic displays of solidarity.

The U.S.’ transformation into a model Eastern European state stands as a testament to the nation’s ability to evolve and embrace new paradigms. As you march off into this brave new world, let us celebrate the unity, strength and clarity of purpose that define your *now* great nation. Welcome to the People’s Republic of America, where democracy, liberty and fairness are all taking a welldeserved vacation.

Cold War policy building up our nuclear arsenal against the Soviet Union and calling them communists? I am gonna crash out.

Okay now more about me.

I was born in the South.

I like mountains.

I like Gucci Mane.

I believed Santa was real until possibly the 5th or 6th grade.

I greened out one time in 10th grade French class and had to call home.

I want to live in Oman for a year.

I ate a cigarette by accident once.

I steal candy from children.

I embezzle money.

I like sloths.

My friend Libby Demi was deported after she decided to protest again and didn’t follow UW-Madison’s free speech policy.

I colonized an island and it’s called Peter Prickistan.

I like lava lamps.

I hate Jubilee videos.

Wolves in 5. Now it’s time for wisdom: Never stop smoking and never give up on school. Go to class, keep holding authority accountable by ANY means possible. Keep being whimsy and reduce being malice. Smile more. Donate to charities. Be hot. Go to zoos.

While I am taking a break to take over Pete Hegseth since I am smarter than him, this isn’t a forever goodbye. Re-read my older articles and prepare for when I make a massive comeback.

I love you guys.

Xoxo

Peter Pricket

ISABELLA BARAJAS/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Long live the Madison Manor

By Franchesca Reuter EDITORIAL BOARD CHAIR

As the amps go quiet and the final melody echoes out into memory, we say goodbye to the beloved Madison Manor, a true pillar in the Madison DIY music scene. The Manor held their final show last Saturday, welcoming 14 local bands for one last ride and our chance to create final memories at the house.

Every month during the school year for the past three years, the house hosted a show, filling every bill with local and touring bands from across the Midwest. It was one of the truest forms of DIY venues in town, run by seven University of WisconsinMadison college students, including Arda Gok, Derrick Houmey, Zach Peetz, Conner Poster, Mack Reed, Will Ward and Dylan Wendricks.

“Helping run the Manor has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience. It became a space where people could be themselves, create freely and feel part of something bigger,” Wendricks told The Daily Cardinal.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the community and everyone who chipped in, whether it was performing, helping to clean up, or just showing up with good energy. The Manor wouldn’t have been what it was without all of them,” Wendricks said.

The Manor cultivated a community like no other venue, welcoming people all across the city to share their love of music and sense of belonging.

It became more than just a local music venue — it was a creative haven. It was a platform, a heartbeat and for many, it became the defining backdrop of their college years.

“The Manor was awesome because it became more than just all of us, who live here, promoting local music,” said Poster. “It really was a community and an alternative space for people in Madison.”

Yolk’s guitarist jumps into the crowd on April 12, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Aergo’s lead guitarist performs on April 19, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Attendees jump around in the mosh pit during the Madison Manor’s final show on April 19, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO

Attendees headbang and jump around during the Madison Manor’s final show on April 19, 2025. FINNEGAN RICCO/THE

Long live the Madison Manor

Their reputation grew fast and so did the crowds. When you walked through the doors of the house, you could feel the energy of every show, from everyone radiating with excitement to see their next favorite band. No matter what type of music it was, the crowd was always ready to support and go absolutely wild at the start of every song.

“Looking back at when we started, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come,” said Reed. “I’m so grateful for the memories and music and hope to carry the spirit of this scene with me wherever I go.”

It is hard to believe that such an instrumental and profound venue has to come to an end as the residents look towards graduation this upcoming May. It will forever be a part of the Madison DIY scene long after it has closed its doors.

“I am grateful that we were able to host at the Manor and create a great community who would always support the bands,” said Peetz. “It will forever be a huge part of my college experience. Thank you to everyone who came!”

The lights will come down. The neighbors will sleep a little easier. The underground venue will return to just a house. The photos will be buried deep in our camera rolls as the years carry on. But the friendships that flourished and memories that had been made will long be carried with everyone that found their way over to the venue.

Here’s to the Madison Manor: the plywood and cinder block stage, the home, the soundtrack of our best nights. You were loud, you were legendary and you will be forever missed.

Cause and Control’s Bassist performs on April 19, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO/THE DAILY CARDINAL Commonwealth’s lead guitarist performs on April 19, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Dad Bods’ drummer performs during the final Madison Manor Show on April 19, 2025.

FINNEGAN RICCO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

Hush Now, Sweet Halo’s lead guitarist crowd surfs during the final Madison Manor show on April 19, 2025

Spring Farewell

Graphics Artist Recruitment

by Isabella Barajas

The Final Countdown by Isabella Barajas

Urban Cowgirl

by Tess Voigt

Sunbathing, Not Studying

by Isabella Barajas

The Daily Cardinal Crossword by Emma Schieffer

Relaxing on the Terrace

by Isabella Barajas

Pontoon, jet, sail, canoe