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Thursday, November 12, 2026
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CAN YOU SEE EVERYTHING?
JOSEPH OR HOPKINS?
Nathan Fielders’s documentary following Elizabeth Holmes makes you wonder what you actually saw
The two quarterbacks from Newport Beach fight for the starting spot in Madison.
+ ARTS, PAGE 5
+ SPORTS, PAGE 7
Meet Teo, Hoagie: UWPD’s furriest cadets By Skylyn Kramp
K9 Teo and Officer Justin Zurbuchen
STAFF WRITER
Whether they’re searching Camp Randall Stadium before kickoff or comforting students during midterm season, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department’s (UWPD) four K9’s have become some of the department’s most recognizable members. Each canine brings a unique set of skills and distinct personality to the department. In an interview with The Daily Cardinal, two K9 teams put those personalities on full display.
Before most Badger football fans arrive at Camp Randall Stadium, K9 Teo is already at work. The German Shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix is UWPD’s newest dual-purpose K9, who has been trained in obedience, tracking, search, apprehension and explosive detection. According to Teo’s handler Officer Justin Zurbuchen, explosive detection is the skill Teo uses most often, particularly at Badger sports events. “We work pretty much every sporting event,”
Zurbuchen told the Cardinal. “Our main goal is just to provide security and keep people safe.” Born in January 2025, Teo joined the department in the summer of 2026 after Zurbuchen selected him from a professional training program in Indiana. “I was able to go down there to look at a lot of different dogs and choose the dog that I thought would best fit not just me, but the department and the campus,” Zurbuchen said. While students are most likely to encounter Teo at athletic events, his duties extend beyond game days. According to Zurbuchen, there are only around 25 to 30 explosive-detection dogs
Meet Tonjanita Johnson
in Wisconsin, making Teo’s skills a valuable resource. As a result, Teo and his handler provide security at protests and other large-scale events both on and off campus. Keeping up with training remains a daily responsibility for Zurbuchen and Teo. “You have to work their brain because that’s what tires them out,” Zurbuchen said. “We try to do something every day, whether that’s odor work, tracking or the slat mill.” Outside of work, Teo enjoys playing ball and participating in other activities that keep him mentally engaged. Continue reading @ dailycardinal.com
Kollege Klub goes back to the 1940s for Netflix’s “The Mosquito Bowl” By Karma Voth STAFF WRITER
JONATHAN MINTZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL
By Ted Hyngstrom VIDEO DIRECTOR
There is a lot on the table for Tonjanita Johnson. Come 2027, the newly-appointed president of the Universities of Wisconsin will begin her indefinite term as the System’s 10th executive — operating and managing the Universities of Wisconsin. As president, she will also be able to appoint staff to, direct and coordinate the Universities of Wisconsin administrative offices, including the Division of University Relations, the Division of Finance & Administration and the Division of Academic & Student Affairs. Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of each individual UW system school will report to her, and she will report to the 18-member Board of Regents. The Butler, Alabama native currently serves as Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Alabama System, advising the Chancellor and Board of Trustees on academic, student affairs and faculty policy. Johnson highlighted the importance of free speech in school as the “foundation of our abilities within a university setting.” At an open forum prior to her appointment, Johnson said she would support and uphold system-level policies surrounding academic freedom. “I understand the importance of being able to teach freely without repercussions and being able to know that the content of a course, in many ways, is protected in terms of how I teach that course,” she said. Johnson holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in communications from the
University of Alabama, where she began her career as a New York Times Scholar. She earned a PhD in Urban Education from Jackson State University. Johnson was also previously a finalist to become the Chancellor of Minnesota State in 2023, but ultimately lost the nomination to Minnesota native and documentarian Scott Olson. In a biography submitted to the Universities of Wisconsin, she said she will lead systemwide efforts in academic planning, program review, institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement. Prior to serving in that role, Johnson worked as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Tennessee System from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as vice president of communications and marketing. From 2010 to 2013, Johnson served as the chief deputy to the president at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. From 2008 to 2010, Johnson served as associate vice president for marketing and communications at Middle Tennessee State University, and at Mississippi Valley State University in the same position from 2001 to 2008. The Crimson White, a student newspaper at the University of Alabama, reported she worked as a communications specialist from 1993 to 1996. At one point, she also worked as a reporter of Higher Ed at the Decatur Daily, and served as the assistant director of Alabama Minority Journalism Workshop from 1988 to 1991. Johnson will likely have the opportunity to engage with system employees over collective
bargaining, address AI and education access in UW system universities. Wisconsin Democratic leaders have signaled their support to repeal Act 10, the highly controversial law signed by former Governor Scott Walker, potentially opening the door to collective bargaining with system employees. At a public forum at UW-Parkside in October, Johnson said she wants to understand what her “roles and responsibilities” would be in that process, but stressed she would remain visible. “I will be a visible part of the work that you’re doing, and always someone that you can come to as we’re going through this,” Johnson said. Johnson served as administrative liaison for represented employees at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She said it was her job to understand what the issues were, and how she could advocate. “Bargaining or not, you know, you’re wanting to be represented because there are some things that need to be where some assurances need to be made,” Johnson said. “I want to know what those assurances are, so that we can — even as we are working through that process — that we are able to start to address whatever those issues are.” Asked about DEI and academic freedom at an open forum prior to her appointment, Johnson said that the issues were “very personal.” She stressed DEI is not singular. “There’s always concern in these spaces,” she said. “There’s concern in these spaces because I recognize that when we talk about DEI, we’re talking about a broad range of issues.” Continue reading @ dailycardinal.com
Bargoers enter Kollege Klub to a beaming “Welcome to 1944” sign and a newspaper clipping with the story of “The Mosquito Bowl.” The 1940 Wisconsin flag hangs over a window, and attendees can view a wall of vintage paraphernalia and take photos in an old-timey photo booth. Three neon signs of the Badgers logo from 1940 hang in the back of the bar. The Kollege Klub, a historic sports bar and fixture of University of Wisconsin-Madison culture, took a step back in time Friday night as Netflix transformed the establishment into a 1940s-era tavern to promote the recently released, Badger-centered film “The Mosquito Bowl.” The movie focuses on the lives of four college football players and war heroes, including two Badgers — Bob Bauman, played by Bill Skarsgård, and Dave Schreiner, played by Tom Francis — as they join the Marines and fight in the Pacific Theater after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. In some pivotal scenes, filmmakers recreated a decades-old Camp Randall. Producers decorated the bar with historic photos of Wisconsin football players, football jerseys of past Badger stars, vintage newspapers and costumes worn during the filming of “The Mosquito Bowl”. Actor Tom Francis also made an appearance at the event. The event had free admission, and the bar saw nearly full capacity on Friday night. The tavern makeover and displays are scheduled to remain up through Nov. 22. The decision to use the Kollege Klub was rooted in the film’s connection to college life, according to Netflix event producer Jason Klein. “[Bauman and Schreiner] were college students before they went to war, and we tried to translate that and give people the connection that these are kids,” he told The Daily Cardinal. Like Kollege Klub, Wisconsin Athletics are deeply rooted in the community of UW-Madison, constituting a vibrant part of campus culture. The promotional event was created through a collaboration between Netflix’s production, marketing and publicity teams, according to Klein. Continue reading @ dailycardinal.com
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”
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An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 136, Issue 13
2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000
News and Editorial editor@dailycardinal.com
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How yoga supports incarcerated individuals across Dane County By Madelyn Rybak STAFF WRITER
Editor-in-Chief Alaina Walsh
Managing Editor Avery Chheda
News Team Campus Editor Sonia Bendre College Editor Grace Carlson City Editor Jane Dardik State Editor Audrey Lopez-Stane Associate News Editor Zoey Jiang Features Editor Jake Kilander Opinion Editors Brady Ahler • Siena Ferraro Arts Editors Ryan Kim • Liset Zacker Sports Editors Otto von Sothen • Haellie Opp Sports Associate Editor Luca Muehlbauer Special Pages Editor Natalie Popper Photo Editor Jonathan Mintz Graphics Editors Eloise Guth • Klaire Maduscha Science Editors Lauren Eno • Addison Dama Life & Style Editors Isabella Bajaras • Jackson Baker Beet Editor Lizzi McGann Podcast Directors Yadiel Chavez • Amellia Fowler Digital Editor Meredith Schadrie Video Director Ted Hyngstrom Copy Chiefs Emma Schieffer • Brendan Wolf Copy Editors Isabella Barajas • Delaney Chronister • Ryan Kim • Kim McGee
Business and Advertising business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Wyatt Vail • Eleanor Zhang Marketing/Outreach Director Hallie Egelseer Social Media Manager Aanya Agrawal Ad Manager Lauren Downham The Daily Cardinal is a nonprofit organization run by its staff members and elected editors. It receives no funds from the university. Operating revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales. The Daily Cardinal is published weekdays and distributed at the University of WisconsinMadison and its surrounding community with a circulation of 10,000. Capital Newspapers, Inc. is the Cardinal’s printer. The Daily Cardinal is printed on recycled paper. The Cardinal is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The Daily Cardinal are the sole property of the Cardinal and may not be reproduced without written permission of the editor in chief. The Daily Cardinal accepts advertising representing a wide range of views. This acceptance does not imply agreement with the views expressed. The Cardinal reserves the right to reject advertisements judged offensive based on imagery, wording or both. Complaints: News and editorial complaints should be presented to the editor in chief. Business and advertising complaints should be presented to the business manager. Letters Policy: Letters must be word processed and must include contact information. No anonymous letters will be printed. All letters to the editor will be printed at the discretion of The Daily Cardinal. Letters may be sent to opinion@ dailycardinal.com.
Editorial Board Avery Chheda • Alaina Walsh • Brady Ahler • Siena Ferraro • Safa Razvi Chair Safa Razvi
Board of Directors Scott Girard, Chair • Don Miner • Nancy Sandy • Nathan Kalmoe • Jack Kelly • Gary Achterberg • Jennifer Sereno • Kelly Lecker
© 2026, The Daily Cardinal Media Corporation ISSN 0011-5398
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A correctional facility may be the last place one expects to find a yoga class, yet across Dane County the classes are becoming more prominent in such spaces. Rise Above Yoga (RAY), a non-profit organization that hopes to bring free, traumainformed yoga classes to incarcerated individuals across Wisconsin is working to spread that mission. Through RAY, incarcerated individuals across the state are able to engage in flexible, in-person yoga sessions with an instructor and other students. Classes range in size, location and mode of instruction, and seek to support justice-impacted individuals across correctional, reentry and community-based spaces. RAY facilitated 130 youth sessions with 500 participants, 106 jail sessions with 700 participants and 38 prison sessions with 400 participants in 2025. In the first half of 2026, RAY facilitated 351 yoga classes across community and correctional settings, powered by 20 active facilitators. “We’re about meeting folks where they’re at, whatever stage of life, whatever situation that they find themselves in,” Liz Michalkiewicz, executive director of RAY, told The Daily Cardinal. According to Michalkiewicz, yoga creates various health benefits for incarcerated individuals, including better sleep. Additionally, yoga provides significant benefits when it comes to improving one’s emotional regulation and mindfulness. Michalkiewicz recalled feeling proud about seeing how breathing techniques were able to help one of her students avoid confrontation with one of the prison staff members, which she believes speaks to the power yoga can bring to our situation. “The intelligence, the depth, the questions, the vulnerability of these people and just the ability of yoga to bring that out, it’s so surprising,”
Michalkiewicz said. The origins of Rise Above Yoga began with two separate programs. One was a weekly women’s program at the Dane County Jail founded by Penny Ballantyne, which was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, before being relaunched by Jennifer Fetterly in 2023. The second was Yoga Accessible For All (YAFA), which brought yoga for underserved populations beyond the incarcerated, including those with disabilities. Volunteers from both programs became connected through the Prison Yoga Project, and informally came together as an informal collective under the name Rise Above Yoga in October 2024. At the start of the year, the group included approximately nine active volunteers. RAY is supported in their operations by their fiscal sponsor, the Center for Community Stewardship (C4CS). A fiscal sponsor allows them to operate under the umbrella of an established nonprofit, giving them access to fundraising without the burden of setting up a stand-alone nonprofit entity. C4CS has served 115 projects since 2018 and manages $4 million in funding annually. RAY officially completed its’ merger with YAFA in 2026, and expanded services to cover senior centers, individuals with disabilities and other underserved populations, according to Michalkiewicz. Michalkiewicz became involved with the Prison Yoga Project in 2023 while she was running her own personal practice, and took over the role of executive director following the merger. Through her own personal connection with incarceration, Michalkiewicz said she is motivated to make yoga more accessible to justice-impacted individuals due to the positive results she sees within the classroom. “There was a little bit of a process to make that happen, and a pretty steep learning curve, figuring out how all the YAFA programs
COURTESY OF RISE ABOVE YOGA
worked,” Jo Temte, a teacher and director of RAY’s Dane County Programming told the Cardinal. “Our main focus of this merger is making sure all of our programs are up and running and getting the attention that they need.” The programs at the Dane County Jail have been continued following the merger, and meet weekly. Kelsey Dalrymple, instructor at RAY and teaching faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education, leads a sixweek course at Dane County jail designed to improve mindfulness and promote accessibility. “The [program’s] main goal is to create safe and inclusive spaces where the participants have control of their bodies and get to make choices about what they want to do, because, the majority of the time, justice-impacted folks have very little control over anything,” Dalrymple told the Cardinal. RAY has expanded to include a number of programs beyond Dane County. Michalkiewicz leads the program at a women’s facility in the Milwaukee area that meets twice a week. Temte helped establish the first program at a men’s prison outside of Madison in 2025, which meets twice a week. In 2026, RAY added another program at a women’s facility in Racine County, which meets weekly. RAY’s most recent addition is a program established in Sauk County Men’s Jail.
Class sizes at the Dane County jail typically consist of 10-15 students, with a smaller class size allowing instructors to better meet student’s physical and emotional needs. The class’s self-paced nature is one of the factors that drive many students to join, according to Dalrymple. “They are told when to eat, when to sleep, when to shower, when to go to the bathroom, when to move,” Dalrymple said. “A lot of times participants do these yoga programs simply to get out of their pods, just to have a different change of scenery.” In her approach to teaching, Dalrymple aims to create an environment where students are treated respectfully regardless of their circumstances, and presents each participant with the opportunity to learn and grow. “A big part of our approach is treating everybody with humanity and dignity and care and respect, regardless of why somebody is where they are,” Dalrymple said. Dalrymple facilitates her sessions to be somewhat self-paced, allowing participants to engage as much or as little as they want. Dalrymple said she understands that incarcerated individuals carry a heavy emotional burden that movement can address, so she aims to meet students where they are at in order to support their physical and emotional needs. Continue reading at dailycardinal.com
Elections recap: Wisconsin Democrats win big, make history in midterm elections By Mary Al-Bazi STAFF WRITER
Wisconsin will see a Democratic trifecta starting in January, with Democrats taking hold of key statewide offices and the state Legislature as part of a greater nationwide “blue wave” on Election Night. After a contentious governor’s race, Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany conceded to Democrat Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley before 10 p.m. on Election Night. Crowley won the race with 54% of the vote compared to Tiffany’s 46%, according to the AP. “Tonight, Wisconsin made history. And being your next governor is humbling in its own right. I don’t take any of this lightly.” Crowley said in his victory speech. Crowley had an unusual path to governor after he briefly dropped out of the race before coming back to beat current State Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, in the Aug. 11 primary.
JAKE PIPER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Crowley, who will be Wisconsin’s first Black governor, is one of many who made history in the midterms. Democrat Yee Leng Xiong, who won the race for state treasurer, will be the first Hmong American elected to a statewide office. Democrat JoCasta Zamarripa, who won the secretary of state race, will be the first Latina. Xiong beat Republican incumbent John Leiber in a race that stayed close throughout the night. Xiong said dur-
ing the campaign he wants to make the office more of a “fiscal watchdog” in addition to its current duties, according to Wisconsin Watch. Zamarripa, a current Milwaukee alder who previously represented District 8 in the Assembly, won against Republican candidate Jay Schroeder. During the campaign, Zamarripa told WMTV-15 her “top priority” would be “to see the governor sign driver’s licenses for undocument-
ed Wisconsinites into law.” Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District flipped blue for the first time in 30 years after Mitchell Berman defeated incumbent Republican Bryan Steil. “Tonight proves that when working people come together, we can make a real difference,” Berman said in his victory speech. Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District also followed suit with Democrat Rebecca Cooke beating incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden, flipping the seat back to blue after Van Orden flipped it red in 2022. “It has taken time, really, to build a movement and momentum, and I could not be more proud of this result,” Cooke said. “And now, the real work begins, right? Let’s take tonight to pause, reflect and to celebrate, right? But we are taking our country back.” Continue reading at dailycardinal.com
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Thursday, November 12, 2026 • 3
weigh biking Jason Ilstrup joins Residents near campus with safemayoral race, ty, accessibility concerns candidates rise to nine By Jane Dardik CITY EDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON FOR MADISON
By Phoebe Morris STAFF WRITER
Madison students and community members said they are upset over the lack of biking accessibility as construction projects emerge and crashes increase, but officials argue there are actually many bike options in the city and on campus. The League of American Bicyclists ranked Madison as one of the best locations for biking in the state since 2015 for its education and accessibility. The league said the main areas of improvement are adding opportunities for all ages and creating more bike parking lots in a 2023 report card. A 2025 report by the University of WisconsinMadison Transportation Services found 17.3% of students ride bikes. Madison has an average bike-related crash rate of 172 crashes per year. “[Madison should] continue to improve and expand the low-stress bike network for all ages and abilities in Madison, and ensure that [the] community follows a bicycle facility selection criteria that increases separation and protection of bicyclists based on levels of motor vehicle speed and volume,” the report said. Ellie Connally told The Daily Cardinal she has been riding bikes in Madison for nearly 60 years and has had numerous conflicts with drivers and pedestrians not paying attention to the road. “I was turning left into the side street, and she didn’t see me at any point there,” Connally said, referring to a distracted driver. “I slammed on my brakes to not hit her, so I fell over on my left side and broke my elbow.” Madison has an average bike-related crash rate of 172 crashes per year. Connally
said she notices many people on their phones and wished the city would make bike paths wider, so she would avoid hitting people. Micah Lee, a freshman at UW-Madison, told the Cardinal she brought her bike to Madison when she saw how accessible campus and city riding was. When she saw how many construction projects were on campus, however, she said biking was more stressful regardless of its convenience. “There was construction right in front of Vilas Hall, and I had to make all these really unsafe left turns and then try to go on the sidewalk,” Lee said. “I might be hitting a pedestrian, and it makes the experience more stressful. It also makes you go way out of your way to try to get to where you’re trying to go.” Lee said she prefers biking because of its time convenience as compared to walking or driving, but she has to mentally prepare because of how overwhelming riding may be. “Whenever I decide to ride my bike, it’s a mental commitment,” Lee said. “You have to get into a lane, you have to look over your shoulder, make sure you’re not getting clipped by a car when you’re turning left and then there’s a sea of pedestrians that you’re trying to get through.” There are currently 30 projects underway in the Madison area, including 18 on campus. General Manager of Madison BCycle, an electric bike share system, Luke Krolikowski told the Cardinal in an email that construction projects have not worsened customers’ sales. He said the projects typically gear towards accessible biking because urban planners want to make
the city more bike-friendly. “We are always looking at ridership info to offer a convenient and approachable bikeshare,” Krolikowski said. “Projects like Cannonball Path are further examples of the city increasing its appeal as a major bike destination.” With eight projects partially or fully impairing sidewalks, roads and bike paths, UW-Madison Transportation Services said they worry most about student safety near construction sites. The department said they have an employee position — the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Coordinator — who specializes in advocating for students with route concerns. “Campus bike routes carry thousands of daily commuters, so planners start by analyzing how a project impacts critical arterial flow and design specific detours and reroutes to help keep campus travelers safe as they navigate campus,” UW-Madison Transportation Services told the Cardinal in an email. They said the department places signs to direct bikers away from pedestrian walking zones. “At a project site, detour routes are clearly marked with signs,” Transportation Services said. “We also realize realities ‘on the ground’ can sometimes be challenging to navigate, or conditions may be different than expected.” Krolikowski said for those riding bikes around campus and the city to be extra cautious of their surroundings to avoid accidents. “Be aware of your surroundings, make yourself visible, be seen when stopped,” Krolikowski said. “If you are at an intersection with a vehicle, make eye contact and make sure they see you.”
President of nonprofit Downtown Madison Inc. Jason Ilstrup launched his mayoral campaign Nov. 10, bringing the race to nine candidates, many of which are running on the same values and promises. In the 2019 and 2023 mayoral races, there were no more than five candidates on the primary ballot, marking the 2027 race highly competitive. Ilstrup announced his bid at the Neighborhood House where he served on the board for over a decade, according to a press release obtained by The Daily Cardinal. Ilstrup is running on a platform of affordable housing, public transportation improvements and public safety. Numerous other candidates noted housing, affordability, police oversight and public trust as priorities in their campaigns. Incumbent Satya RhodesConway cited threats, sexism and harassment as reasons for why she will not be running for reelection. Madison residents disapproved of her handling of the Corey Ruiz shooting, something several candidates highlighted in their campaigns. “We need leadership that listens before it acts, brings people together rather than dividing them and focuses on getting things done,” Syed Abbas wrote on his campaign website. “As mayor, I will work to build a Madison where residents don’t have to choose between public safety and social justice — because we deserve both.” Larry “Ace” Williams, who has been mostly silent during the race, made several posts on
Instagram showing his support for Ruiz and calling out police brutality. He was the first to file for candidacy Aug. 5 and officially announced his campaign Aug. 13. Williams was followed by Abbas, Brian Benford, April Kigeya, Kaleem Caire, Marcus Robert Johnson, Natalia Hacerola and Jason Ilstrup, respectively. Ilstrup said he appreciates Rhodes-Conway’s work, having announced his intent to run for mayor one hour after Rhodes-Conway pulled away from the race. “I keep hearing from young families and seniors who can’t afford to keep living here,” Ilstrup said at his campaign announcement. “From Black and brown families who still have to work twice as hard for the same opportunities. They love this city, but they’re starting to wonder if it still has room for them.” Benford, a former alder, also focused on racial divides in his campaign, citing Wisconsin having some of the highest racial disparities in the United States, according to a report done by the High Road Strategy Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He called the current political state in Madison a “toxic political theatre that puts soundbites ahead of real solutions.” Five of the nine candidates have filed their Statement of Economic Interest, with only Johnny Hinds not officially filing his Declaration of Candidacy but having filed the Campaign Finance Registration. The primary election is Feb. 16, 2027, the general election is April 6, 2027 and the mayor elect will take RhodesConway’s office starting April 20, 2027.
LIAM BERAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
news Common Council president not seeking reelection, reflects on term 4 • Thursday, November 12, 2026
By Lilly Nicandri STAFF WRITER
Madison Common Council President and District 17 Alder Sabrina Madison announced she will not seek reelection for her council seat Nov. 1, to focus on writing and street photography. Madison told The Daily Cardinal she had already been planning to leave her role and the City of Madison for a year, and the death of her close friend last spring solidified her decision to move. An opportunity came up outside of Wisconsin, she said. Along with her service on the Common Council, Madison has been very civically involved. She is the founder and CEO of the Progress Center for Black Women, founder of the Black Women’s Leadership Conference and founder and host of several Black Business Expos. Future endeavors Madison said the opportunity taking her out of Madison offers her the ability to blend documentary photography, writing and her own independent media. Madison told the Cardinal she couldn’t give any further information about the prospect. “I really miss writing, I miss photography, I miss being in communities where there are a ton more Black folks,” Madison said. Madison said the harassment she experienced during her time as an alder did not have an influence on her decision to leave. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway recently cited harassment as a major reason she would not seek reelection. Madison did mention a targeted campaign toward her that assumed she was running for mayor, as well as an individual in her district who she filed a temporary restraining order against. “It’s not the harassment or the vitriol that [influenced] the decision [but] because I literally started considering leaving Madison to explore,” Madison said. She said her decision to leave
is rooted in wanting to explore her creative side. Two years ago, Madison hosted poetry slams, participated in street photography and was a part of a gallery show. Despite being invited back, she had to decline because of her commitments as an alder. “When you’re serving as alder, you don’t have much freedom to be out of town for a month at a time or weeks at a time,” Madison said. Madison grew up in Milwaukee. About 38.5% of Milwaukee’s population is black while 34.2% is white, compared to Madison, which has a Black population of only 7.2%, and 71.4% is white. “I’ve been here for almost 20 years, and I miss waking up [and] going to a Black-owned coffee house, and seeing more Black people moving around in the spaces that I reside in,” Madison said. “Where, when you live in Madison, I have to travel to [do] that. I don’t just get to wake up and experience it daily.” Past accomplishments Madison said her success as alder and president was due to community engagement. One of the first events Madison said she had as an alder involved a community engagement dinner where she set up note cards at each table and asked for feedback. She said she then organized and used that feedback to set up goals and priorities for her next couple of years as an alder. Madison noted a challenge she faced on the Common Council was budget constraints. Due to a 2024 referendum increasing the state-imposed property tax levy limit to $22 million, Madison said she was able to get the operating budget for the Imagination Center at Reindahl Park, which opened 21 new jobs for residents. She said the success was very dependent on the referendum, but budget constraints continue to be a challenge. Madison said her biggest pri-
orities in the Sandburg area of Madison were to get the library finished, improve traffic safety and issues around homelessness, among other issues. Madison, who is currently working with people to see what this area will look like in the future, said the Sandburg area will redevelop as part of a northeast area plan. For her successor, Madison said she hopes they will intentionally include the Sandburg neighbors in those redevelopment plans. “Oftentimes, neighbors may feel like, ‘We didn’t know this business was coming. We didn’t know this apartment complex was coming. We didn’t know this,’ and it’s important that the residents are informed,” she said. Madison said she also worked with the neighborhood association to get a grant to improve a neighborhood park and develop a neighborhood resource team. The team holds events for people in the neighborhood, such as Parks Alive. Madison hopes the person who takes over for her focuses on the community so they do not lose the community resources already put in place. If those resources were lost, the community itself can become disconnected from those representing them, Madison said. “Those events bring people out of the house and be in community with each other,” Madison said. “I can see if an alder isn’t as engaged and stays on it, we can lose the neighborhood resource team, we can lose the engagement from the Sandburg neighborhood.” Throughout her time serving on the council, Madison said she is grateful for the importance of the community. “I’m really thankful for residents who will send an email, give a phone call [or] come to a neighborhood meeting because they live in the city [and] they want somebody who works for them,” Madison said. “I could not have accomplished any of those goals because they were not my goals — they were the residents’ goals.”
JONATHAN MINTZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL
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Kemble appointed as Interim Independent Police Monitor
JONATHAN MINTZ/THE DAILY CARDINAL
By Erin Bickford STAFF WRITER
Madison’s Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB) appointed former Madison Common Council member Rebecca Kemble as Interim Independent Police Monitor (IPM) Nov. 9 following backlash over the Common Council’s dismissal of former IPM Aeiramique Glass. The move to appoint Kemble was an act in “reaffirming [the PCOB’s] authority,” PCOB Chair Devon Snyder wrote in a statement. Snyder said Kemble’s appointment is “intended to preserve continuity within the Office of the Independent Monitor and protect the longterm independence of Madison’s civilian oversight framework.” After Glass’s termination, the PCOB bypassed the Common Council’s decision to place the Office of the Independent Monitor under the oversight of Karen Kapusta-Pofahl. Despite potential added tension, Snyder said the
PCOB is “committed to working collaboratively” with the mayor, Common Council and other City departments. “Collaboration should not require silence, compliance or acceptance of limitations on the Board’s authority without a clear legal basis,” he added. Kemble served as a Madison alder from 2015 to 2021, working as a core member of the alder workgroup that created the PCOB and the Office of the Independent Monitor. Aside from legislative work, Kemble has a diverse professional background. After earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked as an academic dean for the UW-Madison College of Letters & Science. She has also acted as co-captain of the Workers Council for the Union Cab Cooperative. The PCOB will meet Thursday at an event open to the public, to discuss the appointment of a permanent IPM.
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‘You Can See Everything’ leaves you questioning what you really saw By Jonathan Mintz PHOTO EDITOR
To fully understand this movie, there are two things you need to know about Elizabeth Holmes. First, as CEO of Theranos, she was the architect of one of the most famous cases of corporate fraud in American history. Second, she is an incredible manipulator. As the movie opens, comedian and now documentarian Nathan Fielder moves into the rented California home of Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, 34 days before Holmes goes to federal prison. The first hour of the movie is spent here as Fielder gets an in-depth look into the life of Holmes and Evans. Most of the scenes in this section take one of two tenors. In many scenes, Holmes and Evans try to desperately convince Fielder and the viewers that Theranos hadn’t been a scam after all, that the technology worked while other scenes show Evans being, frankly, an abusive partner. In one particular scene, Holmes claims she hasn’t told a single lie in her life, which is absolutely absurd. In another, Fielder shows the pair Abbott and Costello’s classic “Who’s on First?” routine, and Holmes isn’t able to explain exactly why it’s funny, which Evans attributes to her brain working differently and communicating differently than everybody else’s. Evans constantly talks
over, and more importantly, for Holmes (including in the “Who’s on First?” scene). At one point, Holmes is whisking a bowl of eggs before Evans grabs it from her. When Fielder asks why he does this, Holmes says Evans doesn’t trust she’ll whisk the eggs, right before Evans cuts her off. It’s not always clear what is real and what is manufactured. Evans isn’t likely a great person, but is it possible that he and Holmes are exaggerating how awful he is to make Holmes look sympathetic in comparison? I have my doubts that Holmes didn’t actually understand “Who’s on First?” Instead, I think it’s entirely possible that she simply saw an opportunity to portray herself as communicating very differently to make it seem plausible that her Theranosrelated lies weren’t actually lies but simply miscommunications. However, if what we see is indeed real, and it very well may be, it’s grim. Evans is shown to be an abusive, manipulative partner who disregards Holmes’ opinions at nearly every possible opportunity. Adding to the possibility that Evans’ behavior may be real, is how visually uncomfortable Holmes’ parents look around him when the couple goes to California to visit. About an hour in, Holmes goes to prison, and it’s only then the movie kicks into high gear. Fielder recruits the assistance of actress Amanda
Seyfried, who portrayed Holmes in the 2022 dramatization of the Theranos scandal, “The Dropout,” to help him make sense of what he saw in his 34 days with Holmes. The two pour over the footage, going back and forth over what it all means and whether or not Holmes has historically been treated fairly by the media, while still communicating with Evans. A large part of the back half of the movie hinges on the revelation that in a meeting with A24 before filming the documentary, immediately after Holmes left the room, Evans had demanded a cut of the profits for the film. A24, to the discomfort of Fielder, acquiesced to the request. When Seyfried finds out, she is understandably shocked. They are left with a question: does Holmes know that Evans has demanded this money? The movie climaxes in a scene at Evans’ dinner table where, to Seyfried’s shock and horror, Evans reveals he has power of attorney over Holmes’ image and has been using that power liberally and without consulting Holmes, claiming he doesn’t even need to consult her because they’re just that in sync. Seyfried at times feels like an audience stand-in, someone who finally stands up to and reacts to all the insane things Evans has said and done over the course of the movie, but in reality, she has just as much of
PHOTO COURTESY OF A24
a stake in this as Fielder does. As Holmes and Evans point out, Seyfried’s show did just as much to damage Holmes’ reputation as anything else. Eventually, Fielder gets in contact with Holmes in prison first via phone, then meeting in person. Since he can’t publish the recording of his conversation and can’t even bring paper and pencil into his meeting with Holmes in prison, he has Seyfried reenact everything Holmes says and does. At the end of the movie, as Fielder and Seyfried go through their lines for the reenactment of Fielder’s conversation with Holmes in prison, Fielder struggles to remember what exactly was said. At first, he has Seyfried say that when Holmes left the room for that pivotal discussion between Evans and A24’s brass, she was aware of what was about to be dis-
cussed. However, he quickly second-guesses himself and changes Seyfried’s line, leaving the audience wondering what else Fielder may have gotten incorrect. As the screen goes dark, Fielder reveals to the audience that Evans had, after filming concluded, relinquished his right to profit from the film. The audience, like Fielder, is left wondering what actually occurred in that conversation and to what extent Holmes was aware and complicit in everything taking place in the movie. It just seems impossible that Holmes, who successfully commanded rooms full of high-ranking military officials, would be able to be manipulated by a textbook narcissist like Evans. The audience is left wondering who is truly in control as Fielder tries, successfully or not, to uncover Holmes’s truth.
“Pullcord” shows what UW-Madison sculptors are making now By Grace Yue STAFF WRITER
A sign above the exhibition map is polite but firm: “PLEASE DO NOT PULL ANY CORDS.” The show “Pullcord” filled Gallery 7 of the Mosse Humanities Building and pushed the featured students to develop their own voices as artists in today’s society. The exhibit opened Nov. 3 and closed Nov. 7, and showcased 15 numbered works and 11 artists. Featured artists include sculpture graduate students Indigo Conat-Naar, Chelsea Southard and Christian Ulloa, along with other advanced students, faculty and staff. Among the pieces on display are Jon McComb’s four miniature houses, each constructed from found materials and dedicated to someone McComb loves and admires. For McComb, the process begins not with the materials, but with a person. He listens to what home means to them, and sometimes visits their homes, taking photographs to recreate those places as sculptures. One house depicts a cabin in Minnesota where a mother spent her childhood. Inside are three eggs, one broken and two intact, representing the loss of one of her children. McComb also pays attention to smaller details that might otherwise go unnoticed. He described how the screen door the woman opened and closed as a child still carries a part of her history.
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“I always feel like pieces that we’ve touched have a soul to it,” McComb told The Daily Cardinal. Another house honors a farmer in Beaver Dam whose barn was destroyed by a tornado. “Farmers do so much for this country, and they’re kind of like the unsung heroes,” McComb said. A third recreates the Madison home of two orthopedic surgeons who, according to McComb, regularly travel to Honduras to provide free medical care to children. He incorporated a carved wooden figure, inspired by an object from the family’s history, as a thank-you for that work. The houses are made almost entirely of discarded objects. Cardboard became roofing, upside-down plant roots resembled trees and baby’s breath flowers were glued to sticks to appear as though they
were still blooming. McComb even repurposed a broken bamboo shade for one of the houses. Through these materials, the sculptures become more than miniature buildings. Each preserves something about the people and memories connected to the place it represents. Elsewhere in the exhibition, artist Casey Fletcher uses contrasting materials to explore ideas of sacrifice, vulnerability and power. Fletcher’s “Light As A Feather,” made of wax and oak, and “Golgotha,” constructed from steel and oak, form part of an emerging body of work inspired by the stigmata, the wounds associated with Christ’s crucifixion. Fletcher said the works grew out of thinking about how grace and mercy have recently felt “under fire.”
By stretching and compressing the religious symbol, Fletcher hopes to emphasize qualities like flexibility and openness, contrasting them with rigidity and the pursuit of power. The materials themselves help express that tension. Fletcher explained that a beeswax form was created using a mold of an earlier carving. While the wax was still warm, it could be bent and reshaped. Once cooled, however, the form became rigid. The contrast between the material’s temporary flexibility and its final hardened state reflects the larger questions running through Fletcher’s work. Other works in “Pullcord” take a more playful approach. Ulloa’s “Podium” features three humorous subtitles: “I Can’t Believe I Haven’t Been Punched Yet, Am I Really That Goated?,” “I’m Gold, but If You Prefer Silver That’s OK” and “Need a Room Full of Mirrors, So I Can Be Surrounded by Winners.” Elsewhere, Sarah FitzSimons’ “Fountain Devices (Continuing Experiments)” lists concrete, aluminum, duct tape and even “the hydrologic cycle” among its materials. Alexander Wilcox’s “Weight? Awwww” incorporates chains, a trident and a found object. Together, the works offer different ways to understand what sculpture can be, whether through an intimate reconstruction of someone’s home, a reconsideration of familiar religious imagery or a playful use of everyday objects.
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The truth behind the antiabortion movement By Daniela McArthur STAFF WRITER
Politicians across the south have been using the Bible as a political weapon in an attempt to take away women’s reproductive rights for more than 50 years. But the history of the anti-abortion movement tells a very different story. Conservatives will push the narrative abortions go against religion, when in reality, their movement contradicts the very values they claim to stand for by promoting something rooted in sexism, racism and fascism. As a society, we should not be regressing, but pushing forward to protect women’s right to choose. Historically, the anti-abortion movement was not simply about following the Bible. Instead, religion was used as an ulterior motive by white evangelicals to defend segregation in their institutions. When you look at this history, you will come to find that many Christians supported abortion rights. According to Luis Josue Sales, a religious scholar, contraception and abortion methods were widely practiced in premodern Christian societies. In 1968, Christianity Today and the Christian Medical Society discussed abortion and agreed it could be morally permissible under many circumstances. In 1971, the Southern
Baptist Convention passed a resolution calling for the legalization of abortion and later showed their support for Roe v. Wade. So what changed? According to Politico, conservative activist Paul Weyrich claimed the Religious Right movement was catalyzed when the IRS attempted to take away tax-exempt status from religious schools that practiced segregation, angering evangelical leaders. Weyrich knew openly defending racial segregation would not gain support from voters in the 1980 presidential election, so he flipped the script. He presented their cause as a fight to protect religious freedom. Eventually, Religious Right leaders used the anti-abortion cause to shift attention away from their original goal and make their political movement seem more acceptable to the public. As you can see the anti-abortion movement was never initiated because abortions were ‘unfaithful,’ but rather used religion to hide the fact that the Religious Right was just racist. The anti-abortion movement uses religious stories, but they distort what religious Americans actually believe, silencing people whose beliefs do not align with conservative Christian views.
Vice President JD Vance made a major claim that, in Christianity, “we don’t kill children just because they’re somehow inconvenient to people.” However, this is hypocritical because what happens when it is vital for a woman to get an abortion for her own survival? Being pro-life should also mean protecting a woman’s life, including when an abortion is necessary for her to live or when a young girl has been sexually abused. Vance claims the practice of faith requires taking other people’s lives into account, yet he wants to prioritize the life of a developing embryo over that of a living woman or young girl. Furthermore, using religion to support the anti-abortion cause is contradictory, because the majority of Christians are in support of it. Being pro-choice does not mean everyone has to agree with abortion. It means everyone deserves the freedom to make that decision according to their own beliefs. Someone who believes abortion is morally wrong can choose not to have one. The decision should be up to the woman herself. Politicians like Vance and President Donald Trump are manipulating people’s views of Christianity to gain support for restricting women’s reproductive rights. More Christians need to
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speak out against these claims and show that faith and reproductive rights are not mutually exclusive. White evangelical Protestants make up the largest religious demographic opposing abortion, with 74% believing it should be illegal. According to professor Kritian Kobes this connects to conservative evangelicals’ beliefs that God created men and women to have different roles, with women’s primary purpose being a wife and mother. As feminism gained momentum after Roe v. Wade was passed, evangelicals pushed back against women’s growing independence and challenges to traditional gender roles. Opposition to abortion became another way to push traditional gender roles on women, saying they should prioritize their wifely and motherly duties above
their own choices and well-being. Yet two editors of the magazine Christianity Today argued that a woman’s decision to have an abortion is nobody else’s business, stating: “A woman’s body is not the domain and property of others.” This reveals how the anti-abortion movement is deeply rooted in the patriarchy and men’s desire to maintain control over women. It is not a shock that 44% of men believe abortions should be illegal while 64% of women believe they should be legal in all or most cases. As Senator Raphael Warnock said, “A doctor’s office is too small for a woman, her doctor and the United States Government,” and it is time we implement this ideology into our legislature, or risk turning our country into a real-life version of “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
Trump asked us to “vote like he was on the ballot.” We did. By Maxwell Goldberg STAFF WRITER
In the weeks leading up to this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump told voters he wanted them to “pretend [he’s] on the ballot.” In response, many voters made their way to the polls to cast their ballots. The only problem for the president: The votes were not not in favor of his party — they were glaringly blue. Last week’s election saw a massive Democratic sweep across the country, winning in key states such as Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina and Nevada, as well as flipping seats in typically deep red states such as South Carolina, Texas, Iowa and Kansas. Led by a wave of new candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas, the Democrats were able to secure the majority in both the House and the Senate, while picking up key gubernatorial seats along the way. This trend made its way to Wisconsin as well, as Democratic candidate David Crowley defeated Republican congressman Tom Tiffany in the gubernatorial
election. Democrats also secured the majority in both the state senate and assembly, paving the way for the first democratic trifecta in 16 years. On top of that, Democrats secured two key wins in house races. Democrat Mitchell Berman defeated incumbent Bryan Steil in the 1st district, while Rebecca Cooke beat Elon Musk-backed incumbent Michael Van Orden in the 3rd. With voters citing their displeasure with the war in Iran, the price of gas and groceries, as well as the overall cost of living, it is clear to say they did vote like Trump was on the ballot. They voted against him. Since taking office in 2025, Trump’s changes to the operations of the country have been immense. The immediate implementation of tariffs and the war with Iran have been front and center, both leading directly to the overall increase in price of goods and living. All throughout the country, grocery prices have been consistently rising, echoing the same rising cost of gasoline. His policies have directly taken money out of the
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pockets of American citizens. The results of the midterms are a direct result of these hardships that have come from the policies of the Trump administration. Americans are tired of the president focusing on vanity projects such as his ballroom or DC arch, or his nonstop obsession with culture wars. His priorities have been completely off, resulting in mistrust from the American people. When looking at the results in Wisconsin, it is clear voters cast their ballots with intent to rebuke the president and his harmful policies. Every major candidate in a heavily contested seat that Donald Trump endorsed lost, with all but one county voting more democratic than they did in the 2024 election. This can be highlighted perfectly by the gubernatorial race and two house races that gained the most attention throughout the state. Starting with the gubernatorial race, the Republican candidate, Tom Tiffany, voted in favor of Trump 100% of the time throughout his six years representing Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district. He is a major ally of the president and was heavily endorsed by Republicans throughout his campaign. However, he lost handedly to Democratic challenger, David Crowley, by over 8% of the vote and conceded before 10pm on Election Night. David Crowley was also a candidate who was an unlikely choice for securing the democratic nomination, as he dropped out of the race mid summer, making the loss even that more improbable for Tiffany. In Wisconsin’s 3rd district, incumbent Derrick Van Orden saw his race
gain immense coverage as he received incredibly large donations from republican donors such as Elon Musk. He was also a staunch supporter of the president and voted in alignment with him the majority of the time. However, he was defeated by Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke, yet another race where Wisconsinites chose directly against the candidate the president endorsed. Finally, Democrat Mitchell Berman defeated Republican incumbent Bryan Steil in Wisconsin’s 1st district, flipping the district blue for the first time in three decades. While Steil had distanced himself from the president in the months leading up to the race, Trump had previously endorsed Steil to take over longtime Congressman Paul Ryan in 2018. In such a pivotal swing state, and one that voted for President Trump in 2024, this large of a defeat across the board shows the disconnect that the president’s party has with the people of Wisconsin. While the president had promised broad, sweeping change to the status quo of the government, he has since failed on many of the large claims that he made. This is recognized by the people of Wisconsin, who have realized the president’s goals are now no longer in line with the goals of the state. As the results show, Wisconsin voters followed suit with the rest of the country in their direct rebuke of the President. In an era of political turmoil and strife, the effects are being felt throughout Wisconsin with decreasing affordability on everyday needs. So, when the President told American citizens to vote like he was on the ballot, it is clear they did.
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From Croatia to Wisconsin: Idžan becomes key piece in Wisconsin’s offense By Aanya Agrawal SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
As the Notre Dame skater tries to clear the puck from in front of the net, Bruno Idžan picks the puck up on his stick and whacks it into the net. A few hats fly onto the ice as Idžan scores his first hat trick as a Badger. “I think it’s always cool to get a chance to score three goals,” Idžan told The Daily Cardinal. While the Badger has improved offensively in comparison to his freshman year, his play inside the Wisconsin blue line has also shifted with disciplined backchecking and tracking of the puck. Success hasn’t always been easy for Idžan throughout his hockey career. The sophomore started playing hockey in Zagreb, Croatia at the age of three, before he moved to Slovenia at eleven to continue playing hockey. Idžan moved to the United States in December of 2024 to play in the United States Hockey League. He posted 22 goals and 44 points in the 36 games he appeared in. The Croatian-born skater scored his first hat trick in the United States Hockey League with the Lincoln Stars in February of 2025. For him, the one in Badger red was more special since his mom got to witness this accomplishment.
“So that was really fun that she got to experience that because she didn’t get to see me playing in two years ever since I left Croatia to [go] to Lincoln,” Idžan said. The Badger became the first Croatian-born skater to commit to a Division 1 program in the NCAA in February 2025. Later in the year he became the first to have been selected in the NHL Draft when he got picked in the sixth round by the Ottawa Senators. “The conditions are pretty bad in Croatia right now. We have four clubs and two ice rinks in the whole country,” Idžan said. Idžan has also skated for Croatia in multiple international tournaments, including the 2024 U20 World Championship Division 1, Group B. Idžan said he feels “proud to represent Croatia and all the other kids that are growing up in the similar [situations as him].” After a productive season with the USHL, things changed for Idžan as he came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his freshman year, Idžan appeared in 20 of the team’s 39 games of that season, posting a total of two goals and five points. Wisconsin’s national championship bound team had multiple notable
forwards including Quinn Finley, Christian Fitzgerald and Simon Tassy, all of whom have now either graduated or turned pro. The opportunities for Idžan to get consistent play time on that team were few. Idžan considered his freshman year as more of a “development year.” While athletes with junior hockey experience like him might have weighed their options to move elsewhere for better opportunities, Idžan never considered transferring out of UW-Madison. “I love Madison,” he said. “The people here are amazing. The coaches are amazing. I love my teammates, and the opportunity was bigger this year.” The work didn’t end there for him. Over the summer, Idžan put in a lot of work into developing both physically and mentally. Idžan worked with a personal trainer on a daily basis back in Croatia to build his strength and speed. During summer training in Madison, he worked with a skills coach to develop his on-ice skills. “He’s a very humble kid that’s put a lot of work in,” Head Coach Mike Hastings said about Idžan in a post game conference Oct. 2. In addition to physical training, Idžan worked with a sport psychologist to work on the mental side of
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games like overcoming mistakes. The impact of his training was evident in his game when the Badgers played Notre Dame Oct. 30 and 31. While the Oct. 30 game against Notre Dame ended in a dominating 7-1 win for Wisconsin, according to Idžan, he hadn’t played his best game. “I missed a few of my shots where they got blocked on the Friday game. I think I fumbled a few pucks, like created some turnovers that were unnecessary on Friday night,” Idžan said. But come the second leg, Idžan had shook off the mistakes from the previous night and came back confident in his skills, focusing on what he said he does best — shooting the puck. Following the Badgers’ sweep of Notre Dame, Wisconsin was awarded the No. 1 rank in the United States
College Hockey Online (USCHO) polls. For the team, the rank is just a number, as the players’ objectives lie far beyond the month of November. In Wisconsin’s most recent game, Idžan scored the shootout winner against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road to get the extra point for the Badgers. As the season progresses, we can expect to see much more point production and hardworking effort from the Croatia-native as Wisconsin looks to make a back-to-back NCAA tournament appearance. “We just want to win games. We obviously want to win the championship that last year kind of left left a sore bruise on us,” Idžan said.
Column: Colton Joseph or Ryan Hopkins? Who should be Wisconsin’s starting quarterback? By George Atkinson STAFF WRITER
When thinking about Wisconsin football’s historical success, there are certain characteristics we picture. A formidable, hard-nosed defense, working in tandem with a dominant running game that sets the tone, and controls possession to win games. Wisconsin, fondly nicknamed Running Back University, has a long line of greats like Ron Dayne, Melvin Gordon, Jonathan Taylor and Montee Ball that have come to define the Badger offense historically. By contrast, Wisconsin’s quarterbacks have rarely drawn major attention. That was certainly not the case last Saturday, Nov. 7, as Wisconsin romped to a 31-10 victory over Rutgers at Camp Randall. Conducting the offense in place of Colton Joseph was true freshman Quarterback Ryan Hopkins, a former three star recruit from Newport Beach, California (ironically, the same birthplace as Joseph). Hopkins was by no means playing against a strong defense — the Scarlet Knights are the worst in the Big Ten, allowing 32.4 points per game. However, this was still a very impressive debut in front of the Badger faithful as he threw for 241 yards and led the Badgers to 363 total yards of offense, while throwing three touchdowns. This included a 66-yard pass to Tight End Jacob Harris, which would
ultimately be the dagger for Wisconsin. Hopkins’ impressive showing has naturally created questions surrounding the future of Joseph and Wisconsin’s quarterback position. Joseph was initially ruled out of Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury, but was later revealed to be available in an emergency capacity by Head Coach Luke Fickell. As the boss himself put it in his pregame comments, “Colton is up and ready to roll, but Ryan’s going to get the opportunity to lead the offense.” This paints a clearer picture: Fickell wanted to give the true freshman a real opportunity. Hopkins did play a quarter at the end of Wisconsin’s shutout loss to Iowa, but the start against the Scarlet Knights was a much better opportunity for his skills to shine — and shine they did. Hopkins’ 241 passing yards were the second-most passing yards Wisconsin has had all year behind Joseph’s 362 against Eastern Michigan, and the most against power conference opposition. In a more abstract sense, Hopkins’ play seemed to open up the Wisconsin offense in a way we haven’t seen this year. In Wisconsin’s best win of the year against then No. 16 USC, Joseph’s longest pass was only 16 yards. Hopkins’ longest on Saturday was that 66-yard touchdown pass to Harris. A strong deep threat is key to playing complementary football — it both
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creates the possibility for big plays like Harris’ touchdown, but also forces the defense to adjust to that threat, which then frees up the run game. Wisconsin’s run game, for the most part, hasn’t resembled the Daynes and Taylors of old, as neither Darion Dupree nor Abu Sama III has run for over 400 yards yet this season. If Hopkins continues to start for the Badgers, his deep threat could give them more flexibility for what has been a very inconsistent and struggling Jeff Grimes offense. By Hopkins opening up the passing game, the running backs can exploit defensive gaps and complete the offense. Looking ahead to the final three games of Wisconsin’s regular season, the Badgers travel to College Park to face off against the University of Maryland, and then to West Lafayette to play Purdue before returning home to attempt to win back Paul Bunyan’s Axe from Minnesota on Black Friday. Hopkins’ impressive performance against Rutgers should earn him the starting job against Maryland and Purdue; the Terrapins sit at 1-5 in Big Ten play, with the Boilermakers not much better at 2-4, and both of their defenses are allowing more than 30 points per game so far this season. These games could give Hopkins the reps he needs to build his confidence as a young starting quarterback. However, the rivalry matchup against Minnesota is a different animal. PJ Fleck’s Golden Gophers squad has had an up and down campaign; wins against Washington and close losses to ranked teams like then No. 8 UCLA and No. 4 Indiana have accompanied blowout defeats against Mississippi State and Purdue. However, the Gophers have not shied away from mentioning they currently hold all
three of their major rivalry trophies: the Little Brown Jug they won from Michigan in Week 5, the Floyd of Rosedale won from Iowa in Week 7 and most importantly Paul Bunyan’s Axe, which the Gophers have held since their victory over the Badgers last season. The quarterback decision will be a nuanced one for Fickell in the final regular season game. If Hopkins continues to impress against Maryland and Purdue, he could get the nod when the Gophers come to town Thanksgiving week. Colton Joseph’s experience, combined with his rushing ability may also factor in. He brought the Badgers back against Penn State and helped control the game in Wisconsin’s upset of USC. The next two weeks, and how the signal caller under center for Wisconsin performs, will be pivotal in determining which of the Southern California natives Fickell will choose to lead the Badgers against the Gophers. If Hopkins continues to create the kind of threat Wisconsin needs to diversify their offense, he will likely be the man leading Wisconsin out of the tunnel as the Badgers seek to win back one of college football’s most coveted prizes Nov. 27. And if Hopkins is able to succeed in this year’s final three contests, that is a massively encouraging sign for the Wisconsin offense in the next few years. If Fickell can hold onto Hopkins, and further develop the true freshman it could give Wisconsin’s offense a dimension it has almost never had — a skilled quarterback that is truly the centerpiece of the offense. In the modern college football landscape where quarterbacks are increasingly king, an asset like Hopkins could finally bring Wisconsin back as a team in the upper echelon of the Big Ten. Coupled with the amount of NIL support flowing into the program that could be used to keep recruits and find weapons for Hopkins, there is lots of reason for optimism for the next few years of Badger football.
science the midterms could MIT professor talks AI How affect Wisconsin’s enerin computer science gy infrastructure, policy education, research 8 • Thursday, November 12, 2026
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By Addison Dama SCIENCE EDITOR
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By Lauren Eno SCIENCE EDITOR
Sam Madden, researcher and Distinguished Professor of Computing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, visited the University of WisconsinMadison for a discussion with Mike Swift, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in UW-Madison’s College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence Nov. 9. The talk drew on Madden’s experience shaping MIT’s integration of AI into curriculum and co-directing two MIT research groups, the Data Systems and AI Lab and the Data Systems Group. Madden and Swift discussed how AI is reshaping computer science education and research opportunities, as well as how universities can prepare young computer scientists. Madden discussed broad applications of AI in computer science, such as using coding agents to write basic software applications. “This coding agent thing just makes you feel like a superhero. You know, these things that would have taken weeks to do on your own, you can just do,” Madden said. “What I love about it is that you can build software that solves people’s problems.” He noted that this ease meant students increasingly use AI on assignments instead of spending time in office hours or working with peers. “There’s this temptation when you’re in your dorm room and you’re struggling and you can’t figure something out. Like, what am I going to do except turn to AI and ask it? And that’s exactly the way
to not acquire the mastery you need,” Madden said. They highlighted broader implications of not developing mastery and confidence. “Some students are not developing the confidence in their own thinking. They feel like, ‘Oh well, I’m not comfortable making an answer or saying something without consulting AI first,’” Madden said. He emphasized the importance of collaborative projects that give students opportunities to apply skills. “There probably needs to be more of an emphasis on experiences with asking students to do things that are hands-on group projects, coming into labs and classrooms where they work on things together,” Madden said. Madden described a specific effort at MIT to adapt existing courses by incorporating AI coding agents into larger software projects. In one course variation, students will use AI tools to build complex systems while learning about software engineering principles like specification and interface design. “We’ll probably have you know 50 of the 250 or 300 students who would take the normal variation of this class, taking the AI variation of this class next semester,” Madden said. “Maybe it’ll fail. Maybe it won’t. But you know, I kind of expect that this is the way we’re going to want to start to think about teaching these topics.” The approach is intended to let students do projects that would previously have been too difficult to complete within a semester. “We owe it to our students to allow them to do more big,
engaging, challenging projects, given what AI can enable them to do,” Madden said. As to students entering the workforce, Madden said the nature of jobs will change but computer science is still an “amazing, fascinating field.” “I think the nature of the jobs will change somewhat… The vast majority of lines of code will be written by AI in the future, and that’s going to change the nature of the job and the nature of the skills that we need,” Madden said. Computer science education could shift towards teaching students critical thinking about how to implement AI into their workflows and professional lives. “We need to train engineers who think about how to specify software, verify that software meets the requirements we want and satisfies a set of engineering goals,” Madden said. Madden also discussed how AI could change academic research and the responsibilities of universities in preparing future researchers. “My responsibility is to train a generation of young people to do research,” Madden said. “As universities, we need to make sure that we’re evaluating junior faculty on their mentorship. [It] should be an important part of how we evaluate junior faculty.” As AI technologies continue to evolve, the talk highlighted other values in training researchers, students and computer science professionals. “Even if AI is able to do all the things that humans can do competently, fundamentally, there’s still some inherent value in doing things with your mind,” Madden said.
Wisconsin’s peak energy demand is predicted to rise by more than 40% by 2032, driven largely by data centers, according to state utility regulators. In January, Democrats will control both houses of the Wisconsin legislature and the governor’s office for the first time since 2010, with the potential to redirect Wisconsin’s energy policy. Governor-elect David Crowley ran on a campaign of both affordability and regulating data centers. Other Democrats including Trevor Jung, who won in Senate District 21, called to repeal tax breaks for data centers. “There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit because Wisconsin’s really behind the rest of the country and the rest of the world on climate and clean energy,” Gregory Nemet, professor of energy analysis and policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The Daily Cardinal. “So we’re in a position where we really need to catch up if we want to deal with climate change problems and deal with energy problems and affordability.” Natural gas and coal generated 72% of Wisconsin’s instate electricity generation in 2024. Wisconsin has no economically recoverable fossil fuel reserves, and therefore all coal and natural gas must be imported, according to Nemet. He said Wisconsin is a prime candidate for diversifying its energy resources. Under Crowley’s proposal, any data center that receives state or local tax benefits must get at least 70% of its energy from renewable sources. More broadly, he has called for data centers to use up to 100% renewable energy. “If we’re just talking about data centers, yeah, they could be just 100% clean, and don’t have to be renewable,” Nemet said. Clean energy includes nuclear, which produces no carbon emissions but is not renewable. Nemet also listed wind, solar, geothermal, batteries and nuclear power as other viable energy options for data centers that could contribute to the 100% clean energy goal. Crowley said in a Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP) Q&A that he supports expanding nuclear energy in Wisconsin to meet clean energy goals. “Reliable, carbon-free baseload power is essential to a grid
that works for families and businesses,” Crowley told SNAP. Affordability topped voters’ concerns heading into the election. In an October Marquette poll, 48% of respondents ranked the cost of living and inflation as the most important issue, while only 4% ranked data centers as the most important issue. State regulators recently approved We Energies’ request for a 3.9% electric rate increase in 2027 and an additional 3.5% increase in 2028. “The promise of nuclear power is fantastic, and I do expect it’ll play a role in the state,” Nemet said. “The biggest issue with nuclear by far is just how expensive it is to build nuclear and to run nuclear.” While other lawmakers plan to delay retiring coal plants to offset the cost of nuclear expansion, as Tom Tiffany argued in a Congressional Letter, Crowley plans to look toward other renewable energy sources, such as solar. Coal consumption in Wisconsin has declined between 2015 and 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, this decline has plateaued in more recent years. We Energies has delayed retiring two coal units at its Oak Creek Power Plant for the third time, from the end of this year to the end of 2027. Despite the slow rollback of coal, solar use is expanding in Wisconsin. About 12% of Wisconsin’s in-state electricity net generation is provided by renewable resources. Solar resources were the largest contributors and provided about 41% of the state’s renewable electricity generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The largest solar project in Wisconsin history was approved in 2024: a 9,500acre project in Portage County, expected to start construction this year. “We’re still a bit stuck in this mindset that there’s a real trade-off between our public health and our environment and our economic growth, and that if we care about economic growth and jobs, we need fossil fuels, and if we care about the environment, we need clean energy,” Nemet said. “And just because clean energy has gotten so much better and so much cheaper, we actually have an opportunity to have both of those now.”
BRANDON MOE/THE DAILY CARDINAL