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HOOKUP CULTURE CONSEQUENCES
FIRE GREG GARD.
Inside the belly of our modern-day hookup culture lies a masked rape culture, staff writer Sammi Desch argues.
Senior staff writer Tomer Ronen argues why Wisconsin made a mistake keeping Greg Gard.
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UW-Madison area wards vote uninstructed at nearly 4x statewide rate By Mary Bosch PHOTO EDITOR
Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison protested President Joe Biden’s support for Israel by voting “uninstructed delegation” in the April 2 Democratic presidential primary. Roughly 32% of voters chose the uninstructed option in 20 wards on or near the UW-Madison campus, compared to 14.6% in Dane County and 8.4% statewide, per unofficial results. Madison Ward 46, which surrounds James Madison park and the Capitol and is highly populated with students, saw 48% of voters support the uninstructed option. Despite statewide numbers failing to reach the 15% threshold needed to send uninstructed delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August, high support in campus-area wards signals student dissatisfaction with the Biden administration’s policies toward the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian efforts in Gaza. That’s a warning sign for Biden and Democrats, who in part relied on student turnout to defeat Trump by a razor-thin 20,000 votes in 2020. Tuesday’s statewide total of more than 48,000 votes for the Democratic uninstructed option more than doubled Biden’s 2020 margin of victory. UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Wisconsin Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) campaigned for the uninstructed vote leading up to Tuesday’s vote, according to Dahlia
Saba, a member of Students for Justice in Palestine. “Over the past six months, our government has supported the Israeli military as they commit horrific atrocities against the people of Gaza,” Saba said. Following a similar uncommitted movement led by Michigan student activists, SJP “decided to do the same thing here in Wisconsin to make our voices heard and to fight for an end to U.S. military aid that’s supporting this ongoing genocide.” Saba said SJP’s goal is to force Biden to change current policy toward the war by calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, halting aid sent to Israel and reinstating humanitarian aid to The United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency. Congressional lawmakers in March suspended funding for the global aid program as part of a $1.2 trillion budget deal. “We’re SJP. That means fighting for the rights of Palestinian people to live [with] basic human rights and with dignity and autonomy,” Saba said. “What we’ve seen in Gaza over the last six months is horrific and shows a huge violation of the rights of the people of Gaza, but also a lack of respect for those human rights from our government here in the U.S.” Ben Wikler, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman, told MSNBC late Tuesday the primary results were a message that voters, like “most Americans,” want an “enduring and just peace” in Gaza. Wikler said the Biden administration has an opportunity to make its
values clear and demonstrate a contrast between Democratic policies and the Trump administration’s approach, which he suggested would be one of “total disregard for the lives of Palestininas civilians, for the hostages, for just about anyone else.” “This is a protest vote. It’s a great American tradition of speaking your mind at the ballot box, and it’s civic engagement,” Wikler said. “I think we have the chance to earn all of these for the Biden campaign in November.” SJP and other student organizations backing the uninstructed campaign, including the Muslim Student Association, shared messages on social media, passed out flyers around campus and organized statewide phone banks and rallies to support the cause, according to Saba. Statewide organization Listen to Wisconsin partnered with student organizations at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University to support the uninstructed vote. Their efforts were focused mainly in Madison and Milwaukee, districts with the highest uninstructed turnout in the state. Approximately 15% of Dane County voters and 12% of Milwaukee County voters supported the uninstructed delegation option in the Democratic presidential primary, rates higher than any other county statewide, according to unofficial results from the Associated Press. UW-Madison sophomore Sydney Tannen said she heard about the uninstructed vote through YDSA
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social media and in conversation with friends. “I feel like the message is getting heard somewhat,” she said. Other students were unaware what the uninstructed vote meant before they cast their ballots. “I’ve heard of it before, but I feel like I need more information,” said Josephine Hunter, a UW-Madison sophomore. After learning the political significance of the vote, she said she would have supported it. “I feel like there’s no one trying to put it out there,” Hunter said. She said more active campaigning in busy areas of campus could have informed her. Saba said the majority of people student activists talked to were “overwhelmingly supportive” of the cause. With the growing presence of the war in the media during the last few
months, “people have gotten more engaged in the issue,” Saba added. “You get people from a variety of backgrounds. Some have heard about it, some are just learning about it and some have known about it for a long, long time,” Saba said. “Both groups of people are very passionate.” Students who voted uninstructed said they were steadfast in their support of Biden changing his Israel policy. “I voted uninstructed,” Tannen said. “I hope it sends a message.” College news editor Noe Goldhaber contributed research and data analysis to this story. Editor’s Note: this story was updated at 12:14 p.m. to include information from Ben Wikler, Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman.
Students voice concerns ahead of likely tuition increase By Natasha Hicks STAFF WRITER
With the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents set to vote on a tuition increase Thursday, some UW-Madison students said they hope the increase will increase academic support, though they worried it could exacerbate wider affordability concerns and deter enrollment. The 3.75% systemwide increase mirrors inflation, UW System President Jay Rothman said on March 28. It would increase UW-Madison’s tuition for in-state students from $11,216 to $11,604 and would be the second straight year of increased tuition. The potential increase comes alongside cost of living concerns in an increasingly constrained Madison housing market. Nationally, gaps between college affordability and a 66% student loan debt increase over the past decade play heavily into families’ decisions on where to send their children to college. Statistics from the nonpartisan Institute for Higher Education Policy show eco-
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nomic concerns are elevated for nonwhite students. Some UW-Madison students supported the tuition increase, saying they believe it will benefit students by maintaining the school’s academic quality and funding new buildings. “I think it’s fair if it’s necessary to keep up the quality of education students are getting and opportunities students are getting,” said UW-Madison junior April Krumpos. She added greater opportunities for scholarships should come alongside the increase.
UW-Madison engineering student Mekhi Ott also supported the tuition increase. He believed UW-Madison could use the money in valuable ways, like building a new engineering building. The engineering building project is currently funded by a mix of state money and private donations. But some students were more critical, saying the tuition increase could hurt affordability or hamper enrollment. “I’m not a fan of the idea,” UW-Madison sophomore Laura Bush said. “I think affordable tuition
is important, and I don’t want my tuition to increase.” Students also had questions about how the money would be spent. “While yes, it may be to cover inflation, is that extra money going to make sure we get a quality education, or is it going elsewhere?” asked UW-Madison sophomore Jordan Gross. Another UW-Madison sophomore, Lauryn Wimmer, worried the increase might discourage some students from attending. “I’m not in favor because I think it’ll deter students, especially firstgeneration students, from getting a college degree,” Wimmer said. Ott, who supported the tuition increase, had similar concerns regarding other UW System schools, saying increasing tuition could lead to students pursuing different career paths. Low-income students represented 15.1% of UW-Madison’s student body in the 2022-23 academic year, compared to 22.4% across the UW System. Though Krumpos said she understands why the tuition increase has
been proposed, she maintained that UW-Madison’s current tuition is already unaffordable for many. “I know many students that decided not to go here, not because of what it has to offer, but because of its cost,” Krumpos said. Bush echoed this sentiment, saying that programs such as Bucky’s Tuition Promise and Bucky’s Pell Pathway — which fully covers the cost of attendance for eligible undergraduates — help make tuition affordable, but said many in-state students don’t have the scholarship and struggle to pay tuition. A 2022 review found UW System schools were the most affordable in the Midwest, according to the press release. Rothman said the preemptive announcement was made to give students and parents time to plan and encouraged students to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. If approved Thursday, the tuition increase will take effect at the start of the Fall 2024 semester.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”