Meet Kayla Dembiec, a rising junior from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kayla joins the News 3 Now team as the newest “Badger Beat” reporter.
Meet Kayla Dembiec, the newest ‘Badger Beat’ reporter
Channel 3000
Category: Campus life
Twins graduate on the same day, parents’ solution has everyone in tears
Newsweek
Sametz, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, captured her mother overcome with emotion during a FaceTime call as she, in her cap and gown, prepared for her ceremony with her dad.
Honorary doctorate for Sensenbrenner, legislator behind anti-immigrant legislation, sparks backlash
Madison 365
Shocked, disappointed, troubled, concerned, confused — all reactions to news of longtime Wisconsin politician Jim Sensenbrenner being rewarded with an honorary degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
UW-Madison graduate Manu Raju got his first scoop at The Badger Herald
Spectrum News
Manu Raju was a Badger who broke a legendary story in 1999 before he ascended to CNN as an anchor and the network’s chief congressional correspondent.
On Wednesday morning, Raju met a small group of people with Wisconsin ties at The Monocle, a restaurant just steps away from the U.S. Capitol, for a breakfast put on by WisPolitics. That’s where he told the room about his first scoop.
UW-Madison graduation weekend: Blue skies, black caps and red Ws
The Cap Times
Over 48,000 people packed into sunny Camp Randall Stadium Saturday to celebrate the latest graduates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
One year later: Pro-Palestinian protesters reflect on 2024 campus encampment
WKOW - Channel 27
Library Mall on UW-Madison’s campus looks much different than it did one year ago as pro-Palestinian protests were stationed there for nearly two weeks.
Protesters were demanding that UW disclose its investments and divest from companies that profit from the war in Gaza. They met with university leaders over the span of their encampment to reach an agreement.
First graduate of new UW residency program excited to provide needed care in rural hospitals
Channel 3000
When you’re graduating, all eyes are on the new places you’re going. But for University of Wisconsin–Madison medical school grad Shane Hoffman, he’s excited to get back to places like the ones where he came from.
Graduation speakers stress bridging political divides, celebrate Women’s Hockey win during spring commencement
The Daily Cardinal
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s class of 2025 arrived Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium to celebrate the largest commencement in university history as speakers — including graduates, alumni, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Wall Street Journal Sports Columnist Jason Gay — emphasized resilience and learning to bridge political divides.
UW-Madison law grads face ‘intense polarization,’ Protasiewicz says
The Cap Times
State Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz assured law school graduates Friday that they’re prepared to face this moment of “intense polarization.”
“We are living in a time of impassioned debate about what is and is not allowed in our country, about what should and should not be allowed in our country, and those debates often take place in courtrooms,” Protasiewicz told more than 275 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates during a ceremony at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center.
On a perfect May day, UW-Madison celebrates its class of 2025
Wisconsin State Journal
On Saturday, nearly 7,000 UW-Madison students entered Camp Randall Stadium as students, holding hands and posing for pictures in their caps and gowns. The stadium functioned like a super cocoon, and those same people emerged two hours later as alumni.
Photos: UW-Madison 2025 Spring Commencement
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison had its 172nd spring commencement to celebrate graduating students on Saturday at Camp Randall. According to UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, 8,679 students graduated, making it the largest in the school’s 176-year history.
UW-Madison hosts 2025 Spring Commencement
WKOW - Channel 27
The University of Wisconsin-Madison held its 2025 Spring Commencement Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
More than 8,000 students moved their tassel from right to left at the ceremony. Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said this year’s graduation is the university’s largest ceremony.
UW-Madison celebrates record-setting number of graduates
WMTV - Channel 15
On Saturday, the University of Wisconsin-Madison celebrated its 172nd spring commencement ceremony.
This year marked the largest commencement celebration in the school’s history. This spring, 8,679 students graduated from UW-Madison.
UW Odyssey Project will celebrate class of 2025 tonight at graduation ceremony at UW Memorial Union
Madison 365
The award-winning UW-Madison Odyssey Project is graduating its 22nd cohort tonight during a ceremony from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Great Hall in the Memorial Union on the UW-Madison campus.
‘What were you wearing?’ exhibit highlights UW sexual assault survivors
The Daily Cardinal
In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) this April, five University of Wisconsin-Madison students partnered with University Health Services (UHS) to organize a ‘What Were You Wearing?’ art installation, an effort to challenge victim-blaming toward sexual assault survivors.
‘He welcomed me to Rome’: Badgers mourn Pope Francis during Italian study abroad
The Daily Cardinal
Millions around the world have grieved Pope Francis’ passing, but for the many University of Wisconsin-Madison students studying abroad in Rome — and throughout Italy — his death has hit closer to home.
UW Madison’s Odyssey Project Class of 2025 celebrates graduation
WMTV - Channel 15
The 22nd class of UW Madison’s Odyssey Project walked the stage in Great Hall at UW-Memorial Union for graduation Wednesday afternoon.
First-generation law student honors family legacy ahead of UW–Madison graduation
Channel 3000
A first-generation student will earn his law degree at UW–Madison, writing a new chapter not just for himself but for generations to come.
“Being a first-generation law student is just, you know, being the foundation for your family, being the foundation for my future kids, hopefully,” said UW–Madison law student Thomas Kozlovsky.
Section of North Randall Avenue to close starting Monday
Channel 3000
North Randall Avenue between Campus Drive and West Dayton Street will close starting Monday, the City of Madison said in a statement Wednesday.
Young Catholics at UW-Madison share hopes for new Pope as conclave begins
Channel 3000
Black smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Wednesday, signaling that cardinals failed to elect a new pope in their first round of voting — perhaps reflecting the diverse opinions about who should lead the Catholic Church next.
Big Ten revenue reached more than $928 million for 2024 fiscal year
USA Today
The Big Ten Conference had just over $928 million in total revenue and distributed about $63.2 million to each of its 12 longest-standing schools during its 2024 fiscal year, the conference’s newly released federal tax records show.
Class of 2025: Senior standouts leave lasting legacy on Badger athletics
The Badger Herald
As the 2024-2025 athletic season wraps up at the University of Wisconsin, The Badger Herald is highlighting a group of outstanding outgoing seniors who have helped shape the UW Athletics legacy.
The Madison-grown Onion: How college newspaper evolved into global satirical empire
The Badger Herald
The Onion calls itself “America’s Finest News Source.” It is a statement that, like most everything else The Onion writes, is satirical. While its content is satirical, its journey from a college alternative-newspaper to a leader in modern news satire has been more serious. University of Wisconsin Grant Editor Christine Wenc recently detailed this journey in her book — “Funny Because It’s True: How The Onion Created Modern American News Satire.”
‘You’re not alone’: Annual Madison walk advocates for suicide prevention
Madison Commons
The April sun shines down on the dark pavement of the Sellery basketball courts on the UW–Madison campus. Chalk scatters the ground, leaving behind hearts, rainbows and pastel words of comfort. Music echoes through the square. Though dozens of people gather in the area, and though the day is bright and warm, laughter is light. People talk and smile — some in a way where it doesn’t reach their eyes.
Seat at the table: MENA students push for physical space on campus
The Badger Herald
At the heart of UW’s campus stands the Gymnasium and Armory, or the Red Gym for short. Home to the Multicultural Student Center, it stands as a physical embodiment of UW’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Yet for students of Middle Eastern and North African descent, something crucial is missing — a dedicated space they can call their own.
Senior Class President talks bolstering mental health services, improving transfer student experience
The Badger Herald
Stories of students: Read about students making a difference on campus.
Multicultural Greek life: Finding cultural belonging at UW
The Badger Herald
Marla Delgado-Guerrero came to the University of Wisconsin in 2000 with a goal in mind — to start a Latina-based sorority.
Delgado-Guerrero was familiar with multicultural Greek life because her sisters were both members of a Latin-based sorority at UW-Oshkosh. She was ready to follow along and bring a Latina sorority to Wisconsin’s flagship university.
Average home crowd for Wisconsin women’s basketball drops under 2,000 again
Wisconsin State Journal
he number of fans at the Kohl Center for University of Wisconsin women’s basketball games generally has been on the rise over the last seven seasons of attendance at the Kohl Center.
But the increases have been slight, keeping crowds on the smaller side.
Crowd sizes fall for Wisconsin men’s basketball home games in 2024-25
Wisconsin State Journal
Badgers games at the Kohl Center in 2024-25 averaged 10,926 fans, according to the number of tickets scanned at arena entrances. That was down 6.6% compared to the previous season.
UHS works to bridge gap between students, mental health services
The Badger Herald
The administration for Mental Health Services at University Health Services is working to connect with the student body at the University of Wisconsin to shut down rumors of inaccessible mental health services that may prevent students from seeking mental health support.
How many helicopters to install a light bulb? At Camp Randall, one
The Cap Times
This month, Wisconsin Athletics plans to spend about $1.6 million to replace outdoor lights at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s football stadium, according to Nate Jelinek, a department spokesperson.
This 22-year-old grad says she’s negotiated every job offer she’s gotten—here’s her best tip for making the ask
CNBC
Jama, 22, is a business and economics student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and will start an analyst job after graduating in May.
Protesters in Milwaukee and Madison rally for worker and immigrant rights
Wisconsin Public Radio
“There are crackdowns on our livelihoods, our communities, our families,” said a speaker who identified himself as a University of Wisconsin-Madison student whose family is from Nicaragua. “These are echoes of the past.
Three assembly members form Wisconsin’s first Legislative Asian Caucus
Wisconsin Examiner
Maydev is the first South Asian elected to the Assembly and represents the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and other parts of the state’s capital city. She noted that her district is about 17% Asian American and she represents the highest concentration of Asian Americans in the state.
Wisconsin Union selling limited-edition mini terrace chairs to support UW-Madison food pantry
WMTV - Channel 15
A new, limited-edition mini terrace chair will be sold to support the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s The Open Seat Food Pantry, the Wisconsin Union team announced on Thursday.
Advocates gather for Midwest Climate Summit at UW-Memorial Union
WMTV - Channel 15
Researchers, students and advocates gathered at UW-Memorial Union on Wednesday as the 2025 Midwest Climate Summit kicked off.
Madison police investigating attempted aggravated assault
The Daily Cardinal
A suspect attempted an aggravated assault with a weapon early Sunday morning in the pedestrian tunnel on East Campus Mall, prompting an ongoing investigation by the City of Madison Police Department.
UW-Madison hosts Denim Day event
Channel 3000
April 30th is known as Demin Day which is a day dedicated to raising awareness about sexual violence and supporting victims by wearing denim.
Food banks lose federal funding, The growth of sports betting, A college woodworking program
Wisconsin Public Radio
UW-Madison has one of the few artistic woodworking programs in the country. The program’s leader, Katie Hudnall uses reclaimed wood to craft pieces that tell a story. Hudnall talks about the program and the “language of woodworking.”
Feds reveal how immigration squad targeted thousands of foreign students
Politico
“You could have sent a letter to all these universities and said, ‘Those people have come up on a hit, you may want to check them out,’” the judge said. Even after the hearing, it remained unclear how deeply DHS officials examined the reasons students had “hits” in the federal criminal justice database run by the National Crime Information Center, or NCIC. The University of Wisconsin student who brought the suit that led to Tuesday’s hearing, Akshar Patel, had faced a reckless driving charge but it was ultimately dismissed.
UW-Madison international students live in fear, court records reveal
The Cap Times
International students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are scared to leave their apartments in case they could be detained by federal immigration agents. They have struggled to sleep. And one student has suffered from headaches and hives due to intense stress.
All 27 visa terminations at UW-Madison reversed
Wisconsin Public Radio
All of the 27 students and alumni whose visas were terminated earlier this month at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had their status restored as of Saturday night, university leadership announced Monday.
International students at UW-Madison, other Wisconsin schools see legal status restored
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
More than two dozen students at Wisconsin schools saw their legal statuses restored after the Trump administration terminated their records from a government database.
9 UW-Madison student visa revocations reversed
WKOW – Channel 27
The university said visa revocations for some students and recent alumni, like senior Krish Lal Isserdasani, are also on pause because of a court order.
9 UW-Madison students and alumni see visa termination reversed, 15 still have record terminated
WISC — CBS Channel 3
It is unclear why the statuses were changed, and there are still 15 students and recent alumni who are recorded as having their visas terminated. That’s a sharp decline from the 27 people whose status was listed as terminated on April 10.
Students prioritize safety and fun at Mifflin Street Block Party
WKOW – Channel 27
Thousands of UW-Madison students packed the streets for the annual Mifflin Street Block Party on Saturday. While the focus was on fun, safety was also top of mind for both students and police.
Visa termination reversed for 9 UW-Madison students and recent alumni, 15 others still terminated
WMTV - Channel 15
Multiple UW-Madison students and recent alumni had their visa terminations reversed as of 2:30 p.m. Friday, university officials confirmed. Nine reversals had occurred since Thursday evening, officials said, though they had no information on why the changes were made.
9 UW-Madison student visas restored
Daily Cardinal
A University of Wisconsin-Madison spokesman said nine out of 27 initially terminated visas of students and recent alumni were reversed, while 15 still have terminated records.
UW-Madison staff mobilize against federal attacks
Wisconsin Public Radio
Advocates for faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are pushing for collective organizing against federal attacks on higher education.
Not all young workers prioritize a high salary in their job search—here’s what matters more
CNBC
Prioritizing location, especially one near family, rather than salary explains Hali Jama’s post-college plans “bar for bar,” she tells CNBC Make It. The 22-year-old will graduate from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in May and move to Chicago for an analyst job.
Camp Randall Spring Showcase offers first look into 2025 season
The Daily Cardinal
For the first time this year, Camp Randall Stadium opened its doors to the public on Saturday, providing a glimpse into what football could look like for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2025.
Stop to smell the roses: UW’s Earth Fest showcases sustainability, creativity
The Badger Herald
First established as a national holiday in 1970, Earth Day offers a moment to reflect on the health and beauty of the natural world. It is an excellent reason for millions of Americans to step outside and breathe in the fresh air. For University of Wisconsin students, it can be much more. This week heralds UW’s second annual Earth Fest, a week-long celebration of the Earth.
‘We aim to entertain’: UW-Madison A Cappella group to host spring showcase this Friday
WMTV - Channel 15
If you don’t have any plans for this Friday, check out the spring showcase for the UW-Madison A Cappella group, Fundamentally Sound.
No citations for underage drinkers seeking help in Madison under new policy
Spectrum News
The policy also gives immunity to someone who’s a victim of a crime, such as sexual assault or violence.
There’s already a similar policy in place at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The ABCs of aquaponics, and spring paddling
Wisconsin Public Radio
Aquaponics is a system in which the waste of fish provides nutrients for plants which purify the water. To learn more, we talk to Johanna Oosterwyk, instructional manager of the D.C. Smith Greenhouse on the UW-Madison campus.
‘Spring Awakening’ provides a mirror into society’s treatment of teenage sexuality
The Daily Cardinal
The Department of Theatre and Drama at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is performing the Broadway smash “Spring Awakening” through April 27 at the Mitchell Theatre, highlighting intimacy and sexuality in the face of social taboos.
Another UW-Madison international student gets court protection from deportation
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A second University of Wisconsin-Madison student from overseas who had their visa revoked by the Trump administration has won a victory in the courts.
The class of 2025 can’t find jobs
The Daily Cardinal
Elliot Novak is about to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in art education, but it’s a hard time to start as a teacher. President Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the Department of Education, and there have been mass layoffs within the department.
Physical media is making a comeback and UW-Madison is joining
The Daily Cardinal
Having millions of songs at our disposal through mobile devices propelled the initial decline in vinyl records and then CDs. However, UW-Madison students are part of a larger resurgence in physical media use among younger audiences. As early as 2007, global vinyl record sales started increasing every year. In the U.S., more than 43 million vinyl records were sold in 2024.
Mnookin talks SEVIS terminations at University Committee meeting
The Badger Herald
The University Committee — the elected shared governance body for University of Wisconsin faculty — met with Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Graduate School Dean Bill Karpus and other university and student leaders to discuss student SEVIS record terminations.