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Thursday, April 20, 2023
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DYLAN MULVANEY, BUD LIGHT
EATING BUGS AT UW
Why has a brand sponsorship stirred up so much controversy?
“A celebration of insects in food, art and human culture.”
+ OPINION, PAGE 7
+ SCIENCE, PAGE 5
Madison Common Council race determined by luck of the draw By Sarah Eichstadt STAFF WRITER
In an unprecedented tie, the District 14 Madison Common Council race surrendered to a city-held game of chance to determine the winner on April 12. A member of the Board of Canvassers drew Isadore Knox Jr.’s name out of a bag, resulting in his election to Madison’s District 14 alder seat. After initially falling just one vote short of his opponent Noah Lieberman, a recount resulted in a tie and left the election up to chance. “It came up as a tie and, you know, that’s crazy, but that’s democracy,” Knox told The Daily Cardinal. “Literally every vote was important in this race. In the end, I guess I got the luck of the draw.” While Lieberman said he is disappointed he ultimately lost, he agrees this election showed the importance of voting. “I’m obviously pretty devastated, but it’s still affirming to know that we got the same number of votes and the message I was spreading for affordable housing resonated with so many people,” Lieberman said. City of Madison Deputy Clerk Jim Verbick told NBC15 municipal-level election recounts are pretty rare. “I’ve been in this job for almost seven
years, and it’s the first time that we’ve gotten close to a municipal recount,” Verbick said. “We’ve obviously had a presidential recount in my time here, but not in my time have we had a municipal recount. But yeah, two votes is pretty close.” Both Knox and Lieberman commended the staff at the polls for ensuring the election proceeded fairly. “They did a really diligent job of mak-
ing sure every vote was counted correctly and that did end in a tie,” Lieberman said. “So in the end, it kind of does have to go to chance.” As alder, Knox said he plans to increase homeownership across the district while ensuring affordable rent is available as an option. “People are paying $1,600 for a onebedroom apartment,” Knox said. “That is a mortgage. Why should they be pay-
COURTESY OF ISADORE KNOX JR. AND NOAH LIEBERMAN
ing somebody else what the price of a mortgage is?” To make homeownership more accessible, Knox wants to expand homeownership education programs and increase employment opportunities for District 14 residents. “Homeownership is the critical wealthbuilding tool for generational wealth,” he said. “It’s part of the American Dream and everybody wants to share in that.” Knox also wants to expand youth services and provide safety nets for families in need. “I’m certainly planning on being the alder for all of my constituents, those who voted for me, those who voted for Noah,” Knox said. “I want to earn new trust.” Lieberman said he’s not sure what’s next for him, but he plans to continue with local advocacy work. “I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing to help folks out and fight for what’s right here in Madison,” Lieberman said. The Madison Clerk’s office said in a tweet the tie showed the difference a single vote can make. “The recount showed how important every vote is,” the clerk’s office said. “Don’t let chance decide the outcome of our democracy — make your voice heard by showing up to vote in every single election.”
Badger Catholic faith, homosexuality talk met with campus community concerns By Noe Goldhaber STAFF WRITER
Badger Catholic, a registered student organization (RSO) at the University of WisconsinMadison, hosted Catholic speaker and author Kim Zember for a talk about “her personal experience with homosexuality and life with Christ” followed by a Q&A session last Thursday. The event was promoted in an email to all students and met with concerns from some due to Zember’s rhetoric. According to the Badger Catholic budget provided by Associated Students of Madison (ASM) Grant Allocation Committee Chair Andrew Pietroske, the ASM finances the Badger Catholic guest speakers program. Out of Badger Catholic’s almost $60,000 budget, $9,500 goes to this series. Next year, Badger Catholic’s guest speaker program fund will have $14,400 in funding, an increase of almost $5,000. Last fall, Wisconsin Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) controversially hosted Matt
Walsh with funding in part from a similar ASM grant, according to the budget. ASM distributes segregated fees — charges all UW-Madison students pay — to RSOs in a “viewpoint neutral” manner, meaning an organization’s viewpoints or history will not be considered when making financial decisions, according to an ASM bylaw and the United States Supreme Court decision UW System v. Southworth. Due to the phrasing of the email and the invitation to students of all backgrounds, some students believed the event would be supportive toward LGBTQ+ identities. However, after further investigation into Zember’s background, some students expressed concerns about the talk. “Upon receiving the email, we felt very strongly about coming just because of the way things were worded. A lot of words in the email were very inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mia Warren, a UW-Madison student and member of Sex Out Loud. “A lot
of people, from the wording of the email, did not understand that the talk would be encouraging people not to act on the ‘gay lifestyle.’” In a series of videos on her website, Zember describes herself as a “Once Married Lesbian,” detailing her transition toward her faith and away from the “gay lifestyle.” During her talk on campus, Zember touched on these ideas, and compared homosexuality and pedophilia, while defending a “natural” family structure with one mother and one father. She then pulled on scripture, calling homosexuality “objectively disordered.” While some of the audience included regular attendees of Badger Catholic events, many individuals who chose to ask questions during the Q&A challenged Zember’s ideas. Leaders of Sex Out Loud decided to attend the event to offer up an alternative perspective on Zember’s ideas. Jane Houseal, a UW-Madison student and representative from Sex Out Loud, spoke to attendees during the
Q&A session. “We knew that there would be people in that audience who were questioning their faith and questioning their sexuality,” Houseal said. “As someone who is part of the LGBTQ community and likes to advocate for sexual health and equality all the time, I wanted to let everyone know, and everyone in the church know, that there are other options and that we are willing to help them find those
other options.” Sex Out Loud posted a statement on social media critiquing the usage of “pro-LGBTQIA+ language to discuss potentially harmful topics on the basis of faith and religion.” Similar to Badger Catholic, Sex Out Loud hosts guest speakers on campus, one of which spoke on the “Feminist Sex Toy Revolution” Monday evening.
BADGER CATHOLIC page 4
LIAM BERAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”