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Thursday, March 5, 2026
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THE COST OF ‘LIBERATION’
PALODICHUK TALKS PUCK
U.S.-Israeli strikes risk war in Iran and reveal imperial ambitions masked as freedom.
Badgers alternate captain says team still believes despite recent “bump in the road.”
+ OPINION, PAGE 6
+ SPORTS, PAGE 8
Provost finalists make case for role By Annika Bereny CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR
The three finalists for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s second-highest academic position — the provost — presented their visions for the role and the future of campus to an audience of faculty, staff and students alike last week. Following the departure of former Provost Charles Isbell Jr. last summer and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s planned departure this May, the new provost will be chal-
lenged with addressing academic policy during a transitional period at UW. From current interim provost John Zumbrunnen, to the University of Texas-Austin’s Charles Martinez Jr. and the University of Georgia’s Anna Stenport, campus faculty and students heard from those with a wealth of experience in Bascom Hall to those with fresher, outside perspectives. All three finalists were asked one question: what are the most pressing issues and opportunities fac-
ing a large research university like UW-Madison, and how would you deal with them as provost? Anna Stenport — University of Georgia The first of the three finalists to present their visions for the role was Anna Stenport, dean of the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, who went Monday. Stenport began with an overview of her background. Her Swedish
Nitty Gritty bar raid sparks debate over policing
KEVIN PARK/THE DAILY CARDINAL
By Sophia Capolupo STAFF WRITER
Despite the unforgiving January cold, Madison’s streets buzzed with energy as students returned from winter break. Friends reunited, sharing meals and conversation at familiar campus spots. For freshman Imani Sanchez, the excitement of reconnecting with friends defined the start of last year’s spring semester. On the evening of Jan. 30, 2025, Sanchez met her cousin and two friends at the Nitty Gritty around 10:00 p.m. for milkshakes and burgers. While they were dining, the iconic Madison restaurant became the site of a highly publicized bar raid. According to the Madison Police Department’s incident report, officers cited 206 underage patrons that night for offenses including possession of fake IDs, alcohol consumption and admitting to using the establishment as a bar. Sanchez and her friends, however, said they had not been drinking, did not possess fake IDs and were not using the restaurant as a bar. Thus, when police arrived, the girls did not think they were
at risk of being cited. Despite explaining their situation to an officer, Sanchez told The Daily Cardinal her account was dismissed. She and her friends were told to re-enter the line of patrons if they insisted they had done nothing wrong. After being patted down and found with no incriminating evidence, each was still issued a citation of nearly $400 for being inside during bar hours. Eyewitness angles Wisconsin state guidelines allow underage individuals to enter licensed premises if they are “entering to buy food in a restaurant whose ‘principal business’ is serving food.” According to Karl Kunicki, a University of WisconsinMadison senior and shift lead at the Nitty Gritty who was working the door that night, the restaurant was still operating primarily as a dining establishment when police arrived around 11:40 p.m. “If you want food and it’s 11:30 p.m., we’ll still serve you, even if you don’t have an ID,” Kunicki said. “Because we’re a
restaurant first.” The kitchen closes at midnight, Kunicki explained, after which the establishment functions primarily as a bar. At any time, patrons wishing to use the space as a bar must present valid identification. Former Nitty Gritty bartender Amanda Miller was also working that night and recalled the atmosphere shifting instantly once police entered. Music cut through overlapping voices before flashing red and blue lights appeared outside. “Everything just kind of stopped,” Miller said. Miller, a 2025 UW-Madison graduate, said the restaurant is frequently busier following winter break, with lines out the door and a noticeably younger crowd. Based on experience, she sensed a raid was bound to occur. Miller said officers entered through the front door, announced over a microphone that no one could leave without showing identification, and blocked the exits for hours, putting students in an uncomfortable situation.
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upbringing, she joked, would not only allow her to enjoy a Wisconsin winter, but has also impacted her views on the relationship between higher education and the public. “Where I grew up is a civic culture, where public institutions were understood as shared democratic communities,” Stenport said, “where education was seen as infrastructure for social mobility, for confirming innovation and public trust.”
+ Provost page 3
Group donates old dorm items By Elisabeth Carroll STAFF WRITER
When University of Wisconsin-Madison juniors Amelia Wozniak and Kaleb Roessler worked for a moving company last spring, they were shocked by the amount of housing items that were thrown away in good condition. That observation led them to create Badger Reclaim, an organization dedicated to helping other UW-Madison students by recycling and distributing gently used items to those in need. Co-sponsored by the Office of Student Financial Aid, Mad City Moving and University Housing, Badger Reclaim uses drop boxes to collect students’ extra dorm belongings during move-out and distributes them during the following fall move-in. Wozniak and Roessler worked with Mad City Moving, their former employer, to access trucks and volunteer resources. By November 2024, Wozniak and Roessler found Basic Needs Student Support, a UW organization offering food and health resources to those in need, to get their idea off the ground. Badger Reclaim started their donation system at the end of last spring semester, putting drop boxes at specific dorms around campus to store gently used items over the summer. They picked up over 300 items after the first donation cycle, which all went to UW students during the fall 2025 move-in. Both the Basic Needs Team and Badger Promise, an organization within the Office of Student Financial Aid, helped to get the word out to students to donate and also receive donations, with Badger Promise specifically spreading information to those on Student Financial Aid to receive donations. To access items, students must be enrolled at UW-Madison student, fill out a form indicating what they need and maintain communication with the Basic Needs Team. Mad City Moving delivers claimed items to students during move-in. As for the future of the organization, Wozniak and Roessler said they are looking to expand it by searching for more storage space for donated items and continuing to grow the program to help aid more students. The claim item form is currently unavailable due to the sheer number of responses, making expansion necessary for providing UW-Madison students with the help they need. Volunteers can sign up to help through their Instagram or by filling out a form.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”