University of Wisconsin-Madison
Thursday, November 13, 2025
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GOODALL INSPIRES UW’S NEXT GEN
BOOK OF MORMON
Three female primatologists at UW-Madison discuss Jane Goodall’s influence
“South Park” creators’ comedy musical returned to The Overture Center
+ SCIENCE, PAGE 6
+ ARTS, PAGE 7
Campus food pantry calls for increased funding, support amid surging demand, SNAP uncertainty By Jake Kilander STAFF WRITER
Leaders of University of WisconsinMadison food pantry Open Seat say they are unprepared to meet surging demand for their services amid federal uncertainty around Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, limited capacity and lagging university support. “The Open Seat was created to provide some essential relief,” Grace Van Voorst, Open
Seat’s internal director, said. “We were never meant to solve food insecurity or to be the university’s safety net for students.” Open Seat fills an essential role as the only food pantry on campus, serving 2,584 households in the community by providing pantry staples and grocery distribution. In the last two years, the number of households Open Seat has served has increased by nearly three times, with the pantry serving
913 households in September 2023. “Right now, a handful of student employees are doing the work of a university,” Van Voorst said. Then, the Trump administration refused to pay out SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown. Although a court order forced the Trump administration to ultimately deliver SNAP funding after withholding payments for six days, Van Voorst
U-DOUBLE WHO?
said student employees like herself are still overtaxed and undersupported. “We’re operated by five part-time student employees with a pretty small budget and a very limited storage capacity.” Van Voorst said. “We are really proud that we’re able to serve as many students as we can, but that model isn’t really sustainable.”
+ SNAP page 2
UW-Madison selected for new AI research partnership By Alaina Walsh
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
stepped up, with Ricardo Hallman intercepting a poorly thrown ball in the endzone for a touchback. On the first drive of the second half, the Badgers went deep in their bag of tricks to jump their offense. Punter Sean West delivered a 24-yard strike to tight end Jackson Acker on a fake punt, converting the fourth down. The drive would go on to stall out at midfield, but that 24-yard pass was good enough to make West the Badger’s leading passer for the game — a testament to how sloppy and disjointed Saturday was. Wisconsin true freshman linebacker Mason Posa forced a fumble on the next drive and recovered the ball on Washington’s 7-yard line. Smith ran for five yards before punching the ball in on 2nd and 2 to even the score at 10 with 6:29 on the clock.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will play a central role in Microsoft’s newest artificial intelligence initiative, joining Princeton University as one of only two universities in the world partnering on the company’s Discovery Platform — a tool designed to accelerate breakthroughs in scientific research. UW-Madison and TitletownTech, Microsoft’s Green Bay-based innovation hub, will work with the tech giant to pilot AI systems that assist researchers in modeling data, simulating experiments and advancing discoveries in areas such as life sciences, manufacturing and materials science. The collaboration marks an expansion of Microsoft’s long-running TechSpark initiative in Wisconsin and positions the state as a key national site for AI-driven research and economic development. “This is not a typical corporate R&D center or a one-off research grant,” Matt Adamczyk, director of TitletownTech at Microsoft told The Daily Cardinal in an email. “This is a shared undertaking grounded in deep engagement in these local communities and shared alignment on the promise of AI.” Microsoft leaders said Wisconsin’s strong research ecosystem, paired with nearly eight years of TechSpark programming, made UW-Madison and TitletownTech “a natural choice.” “Wisconsin thrives on bold ideas and collaboration,” Adamczyk said. “By combining world-class industry and academic expertise, Microsoft Discovery paves the way for breakthroughs in materials science, manufacturing and life sciences, spurring innovation for the region and beyond.” Microsoft emphasized that the partnership builds on years of TechSpark initiatives aimed at expanding economic development, digital skills and innovation across Wisconsin. The Discovery Platform represents the next phase of that work. “Given the strong foundation we have with TitletownTech and UW-Madison, Wisconsin was a natural choice to launch the collaboration program,” Adamczyk said.
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+ Microsoft page 2
JULIA WIESSING/THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Badgers snapped their six game losing streak in a Camp Randall instant classic. By Grace Cannizzo STAFF WRITER
It wasn’t pretty, but the Wisconsin Badgers 3-6 (1-5) found a way to get it done Saturday, knocking off the No. 23 Washington Huskies 6-3 (3-3) 13-10 as sleet — and thousands of students — poured onto the field. The win is Wisconsin’s first against a ranked team since 2021 and snaps a six game losing streak in a vintage Big Ten thriller few saw coming. It was also a glimmer of hope for Badger fans who rushed the field, with thousands spilling out of the north end zone when time expired. True freshman quarterback Carter Smith made his Badger debut midway through the first quarter after Danny O’Neil sustained a lower body injury. Despite going 3-of-12 on pass attempts and averaging 3.1 yards per carry, the freshman showed glimmers of promise in a run-heavy scheme, providing a rushing touchdown and a 16-yard carry on the night.
When asked what Smith gave to the team, head coach Luke Fickell said, “A chance. He gave us hope.” Similar to Wisconsin, Washington’s offense didn’t produce anything in the first quarter, turning the ball over on downs and being forced into two three-and-outs. A missed 48-yard field goal attempt by Nathaniel Vakos left the Badgers scoreless in the first quarter as well. However, the kicker’s successful 42-yard redeeming field goal with 13:39 in the second quarter put the Badgers on the board first. Washington responded with a 42-yard field goal of their own, followed by a 8-yard sack on O’Neil. Washington junior linebacker Anthony Ward blocked the resulting punt attempt, and the Huskies recovered on Wisconsin’s 1-yard line. Washington quickly scored, taking a 10-3 lead with 07:44 in the second quarter. After another failed offensive drive by the Badgers, the teams’ defense
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”