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Charlie Kirk killed at Utah college event ciples and tools they need to challenge leftwing indoctrination on college campuses.” Over 100 people crowded around Kirk’s tent to hear him debate students and community members at UW-Madison, and roughly 150 voters were registered during the event, according to Turning Point Action Harley Field Representative Sadie Roach. Multiple chalk drawings were spotted around the UW-Madison campus after Kirk’s death was announced by Trump. Kirk is one of several social media figures associated with the growing conservatism among
college-aged men. “We are saddened to learn that Charlie Kirk, a father, husband and founder of TPUSA, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the neck while speaking to students at Utah Valley University,” the UW-Madison College Republicans wrote in a press release Wednesday. “His work has injected life into the conservative movement and made free thinkers on campus feel that they are not alone.”
UW to renovate Science Hall
Cuts threaten STEM camp for autistic students
By Annika Bereny & Ella Hanley CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR & COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR
Controversial conservative media personality Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. Kirk, who was 31, rose to fame for his debates with college students and for being a close supporter of President Donald Trump. He visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus last fall on a debate tour. Kirk additionally appeared near campus in late October 2024 at a tailgate hosted
in conjunction with the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. The Kollege Klub also hosted The Nelk Boys, a rightwing podcast group who promoted Kirk as a guest, but he did not attend. Kirk visited Library Mall at UW-Madison as part of his “You’re Being Brainwashed” tour, which had planned stops at college campuses across the country last September. Turning Point USA, the conservative youth activist organization founded by Kirk in 2012, advertised the tour as a means to “empower and educate college students with the prin-
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By Alaina Walsh ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY OF UW-MADISON’S JOINT CAMPUS AREA COMMITTEE
Renovation aims to bring Science Hall “up to modern standards.” By Madison Moris LIFE & STYLE EDITOR
University of Wisconsin-Madison officials are planning to renovate one of the university’s oldest and most historic buildings in 2027. Science Hall — built in 1887 — will undergo a renovation to upgrade its interior and add a rear common space. More than $160 million from the 20252027 state budget has been approved for “critical” renovations to Science Hall, which will “restore the building’s historic character while improving accessibility, addressing deferred maintenance issues and adding an atrium.” Renovations include an addition to the back of the building in the form of a study or lounge space, a brick pathway
on the rear side of the building, roof replacement and potential additions for storm windows and a green roof. Insite Consulting Architects, an architecture firm based in Madison and Washington D.C. that specializes in historic buildings, and Chicagobased Canon Design will lead the rehabilitation of the building. The project aims to preserve the historical significance of the building. Science Hall currently houses campus’s oldest university lecture hall still in use, as well as the Geography Department, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the state cartographer’s office. Isabella Lubotski, a master’s student in the Nelson Institute, has mixed feel-
ings about the proposed renovations. “Half of the building does not have AC and the elevator is broken,” Lubotski told The Daily Cardinal. She said while improvements are needed, she is unsure how the modern style will look alongside the historic architecture. Ald. MGR Govindarajan, whose district covers the UW-Madison campus and who graduated from the university in 2023, is glad another study space is planned for the building. “It is exactly what we needed,” he said. “Students want more study spaces [with] more vending machines and microwaves.” However, Govindarajan is not a fan of the proposed look. “I would appreciate [it] if it kept to the historical vibe,” he said.
A federal funding cut has put the future of three popular Wisconsin STEM camps for autistic students at risk, leaving families and educators worried that a rare space for hands-on, inclusive science learning could soon disappear. The camps, run through the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Climatic Research, have drawn middle and high school students from more than 35 communities across Wisconsin and Illinois since 2022. With sensory-friendly, nature-based activities ranging from NASA citizen science projects to outdoor exploration, the programs aim to foster neurodiversity and encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. “This isn’t just about science,” Michael Notaro, director of the Center for Climatic Research and founder of the camps, told The Daily Cardinal. “Families have told us their children feel safe, welcome and excited to learn — it’s heartbreaking to think of losing that.” The three programs — “Sky’s the Limit” in Beloit, “Nature’s Navigators” in Wisconsin Dells, and “Zoo Explorers” at Madison’s Henry Vilas Zoo — were largely supported by a National Science Foundation grant, which was terminated earlier this year. The federal government denied a request for supplemental funding when the parent grant ended. For now, the camps are operating on the remnants of a UW-Madison Wisconsin Idea grant and a private donation from the Recogly family. But Notaro said those funds will not last beyond this year’s camps. Notaro is currently floating external funding opportunities to keep the programs afloat. Notaro, whose wife and son are autistic, said the loss of federal support reflects a broader shift in research priorities away from neurodiverse learners and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. “Research shows autistic learners often have a strong interest in STEM, but far fewer end up in those fields because of the barriers they face,” he said. “These camps help break those barriers down.” Despite the uncertainty, Notaro said he is determined to keep the programs alive. He is seeking new grants, partnerships and donations that could sustain the camps in the short term while also expanding them into other Wisconsin communities.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”