The Wisconsin Science Festival is taking over the state Thursday through Sunday, with 170 events in more than 30 counties, including Madison.
Category: Community
Milwaukee vet loved ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ as a child. Now, she’s echoing the series, making house calls on animals. Natalija Mileusnic
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: In 2004, Feiring graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in psychology. After studying abroad in Scotland her junior year, Feiring fell in love with the country and its culture. She decided to return to the country and attend the School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
UW-Madison launches Center for DREAMers to support state’s undocumented young adults
Wisconsin State Journal
A flurry of questions ran through Erika Rosales’ head during the college application process: Which schools might accept me? How can I afford it? Am I eligible for any scholarships? How should I answer the question of citizenship status?
UW Prof. Jordan Ellenberg, “Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else”
WORT FM
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, time for the Wisconsin Book Festival, 28 events this week alone, both in-person and online, and Stu Levitan welcomes one of the featured presenters, and one of the brightest stars in the firmament that is the University of Wisconsin faculty, Professor Jordan Ellenberg, to discuss his NYTimes best-seller, Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else.
Fitchburg-based Spanish Learning Center wants students to love language
Noted: Currently, De Pierola splits her time between her own business, a part-time job as a Spanish teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and her own studies. Trained as a lawyer in Peru, she’ll graduate with a masters degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School in December and then take the bar exam — the necessary steps if she wants to practice law in Wisconsin. Simultaneously, she’s earning a teaching credential through online courses from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
‘Now we’re waiting’: Evacuees at Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy face health care issues, confusion over restarting their lives
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: Erin Barbato, the director of the Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, said that the immigration status of evacuees isn’t tied to remaining at the base, but once they leave, a clock starts on their resettlement benefits, which are only available for eight months after leaving the base.
“Many people are confusing the resettlement process with the immigration process. So, when people are applying for humanitarian parole or for their Special Immigrant Visa or even for asylum, that does not need to be completed on the base,” she said. “The issue is people have now been waiting for a long time at these bases and they don’t want to remain there any longer, but many of them need a resettlement plan in order to get their life started in the United States.”
Dr. Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, will talk about building an anti-racist movement as UW Diversity Forum keynote speaker
Madison 365
Dr. Jeung co-founded the Stop AAPI Hate reporting center after reading news stories about attacks against Asian American elders and seeing an alarming escalation in xenophobia, bigotry and violence in the United States resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeung will be the day-one keynote speaker at the University of Wisconsin-Madison 2021 Diversity Forum Nov. 2-3.
Passing The Mic With The First Wave Hip Hop Theatre Ensemble
WORT FM
For today’s show, Ali celebrates the 15th annual Passing the Mic Intergenerational Hip Hop Festival with First Wave creative director James Gavins and student poets Azura Tyabji and Zack Lesmeister, who read samples of their poetry on air and share what it’s like being an “artivist” in Madison.
UW Athletics help East Side Youth Football Program replace equipment lost in a fire
Madison 365
University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Director Chris McIntosh and UW Head Football Coach Paul Chryst recently showed their support for the East Side Youth Football Program, helping them replace the football equipment that they lost in a tragic fire. On Sept. 14, they gave the young people a special surprise showing up at practice at Madison East High school to present equipment and speak to the young people.
Madison extends mask mandate as cold, flu season approaches
Badger Herald
Extension will require people ages two and older to wear mask in public enclosed spaces.
Q&A: Eli Tsarovsky wants to make sure UW students’ voices are heard
Wisconsin State Journal
Eli Tsarovsky graduated from the University of Wisconsin last May after majoring in biochemistry. In August, he was voted president of the Campus Area Neighborhood Association and he also works as the community health AmeriCorps coordinator.
Death rate of Hispanic babies more than doubles in Dane County
Wisconsin State Journal
Distance from family and cultural traditions is a common stressor for Latina mothers in the Madison area, said Dr. Patricia Téllez-Girón, a UW Health family medicine provider who treats many Latinas at Wingra Family Medical Center in Madison.
Watch now: Madison nonprofit works to support Latinos with developmental disabilities
Wisconsin State Journal
The nonprofit recently partnered with UW-Madison’s Waisman Center on a $330,000 grant aimed at removing some of the barriers Latino families face when seeking care. As part of the three-year grant, Padres E Hijos En Acción has hosted three informational workshops designed to hear the needs of Latino families. The project hopes to create teams of about 20 families that can advocate for themselves and create change in the health care system.
Freakfest 2021 probably canceled, city officials say
Badger Herald
Freakfest 2021 will most likely be canceled this year due to concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19. Freakfest is a festival that typically takes place for Halloween in Madison.
Cap Times Idea Fest: Madison educators discuss ways to solve inequities in K-12 schools
The panel featured Camara Stovall, an elementary school teacher in the Madison Metropolitan School District; Angie Hicks, MMSD’s chief of secondary schools, and Gloria Ladson-Billings, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes increase after 9/11, Madison Muslim community unites against hate
NBC-15
Challenging prejudice, something UW Madison Division of Extension Program Manager Sarah Schlosser faces frequently, as a white Muslim woman who wears a hijab. “I think a misconception is that if someone’s in hijab if they’re covering that there’s no way they could be a feminist, there’s no way they can believe in women’s rights and I actually feel like if we believe that women have a right to wear whatever they want, that should be include being as uncovered or as covered as they choose,” Schlosser said.
Two decades later, Madison first responders reflect on 9/11
Capital Times
Describing himself as a “young and impressionable” student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lau was just shy of his 20th birthday at the time. The scene would move him to take action, altering the course of his career — and his entire life. He abandoned his initial plans to study business, instead taking courses in a field he’d never before considered: law and policing. After receiving his degree and completing the criminal justice certificate program in 2004, Lau got a job in the UW-Madison Police Department, where he’s worked for the past 17 years as an officer.
Q&A: UW-Madison’s Paige Glotzer sees legacy of redlining policies in Madison
Capital Times
Through her research, the University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor has learned how development, policymaking and finance worked together over the 19th and 20th centuries to “create a lot of the urban environment and the urban inequality that we still see today around us.”
Wisconsin mosques prepare to welcome Afghan refugees into community
NBC-15
Saeed said volunteers are already gearing up to help refugees start a new life. He is also recruiting volunteers from the Muslim Students Association at UW-Madison.
Big Brothers Big Sisters partners with UW to distribute more than 200 backpacks at Back to School event
Madison 365
Littles in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and their families got to see the UW campus, meet new UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh, watch UW football and volleyball practices and get a backpack full of school supplies on Aug. 21 at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Back to School event held in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Big Brothers Big Sisters partners with UW to distribute more than 200 backpacks at Back to School event
Madison365
Littles in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and their families got to see the UW campus, meet new UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh, watch UW football and volleyball practices and get a backpack full of school supplies on Aug. 21 at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Back to School event held in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘It’s all or nothing’: A small pay bump can cut benefits for Wisconsin workers
TMJ4
Quoted: University of Wisconsin-Madison economics professor Timothy Smeeding said the rise in wages for low-income workers means it’s a good time to reassess their jobs and find a better one.
“For those reasons, the job market is in favor of workers right now and turnover is good,” Smeeding said. “When people voluntarily leave jobs, economists think that’s good, because that meant they found something better.”
Milwaukee took a big hit in the new census numbers. The question is whether they’re accurate.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “It’s sort of like a race, where you’re only seeing people at the starting line and people at the finishing line but you’re not seeing how they go around the track,” David Egan-Robertson, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said of the data released every 10 years.
Wisconsin cities look to basic income to close racial, other wealth gaps
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Stephen Young is a University of Wisconsin-Madison assistant professor who studies basic income programs in the United States and worldwide. Young said universal basic income is not a “magic bullet solution” but an idea that has gained traction in the past decade to “address structural unemployment and poverty.”
Flexible parking, BRT good for UW-Madison campus — Patrick Kass
Wisconsin State Journal
Letter to the editor from Patrick Kass, director, transportation services, UW-Madison: Recently, we’ve had over 4,000 employees enroll in flexible parking options that allow them access to campus parking facilities without a commitment to purchasing a dedicated space for a full year. Combined with a robust bus rapid transit (BRT) system, these policies can build a network of transportation options that will allow our employees to access campus in convenient, cost-effective and more environmentally friendly ways.
Farmers markets are growing their role as essential sources of healthy food for rich and poor
The Conversation
Forget Critical Race Theory in the Classroom. Kids Are Learning About Race on TikTok.
EdSurge
Quoted: “If you look at the language of some of these bills, they’re really pretty broad,” says Diana Hess, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s school of education. “There’s a lot of things that are in the language that would make it really hard to teach civic education.”
Grappling With Madison’s Racist Past – And Present
WORT FM
For today’s show, Tuesday host Carousel Bayrd talks about uncovering UW–Madison’s campus history with Kacie Lucchini Butcher, director of the Public History Project. They discuss some of the project’s research, including fraternity ties to the Ku Klux Klan, housing discrimination, blackface and minstrelsy on campus, and the UWPD.
LGBTQ patients face bias at the doctor’s office. Here’s how a first-of-its-kind fellowship at UW medical school aims to change that.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will be the first site to host a new national fellowship that aims to make the doctor’s office more supportive of LGBTQ patients.
A Milwaukee community fridge that has provided food to hundreds has been shut down, and is looking for a new home
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: The fridge was co-founded by Taste Of Home Associate Culinary Producer Sarah Tramonte and University of Wisconsin-Madison Division Of Extension nutrition educator Hataya Johnson.
LIFT Dane’s Legal Tune-up Tool can help you remove eligible criminal and eviction records
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “We used public data that is so often used against people to help correct situations or improve situations that might be barriers to employment, housing, education, childcare and health,” explained Marsha Mansfield, director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Economic Justice Institute and director of LIFT Dane.
Wisconsin medical schools launch $3 million effort to address health disparities
Wisconsin State Journal
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the Medical College of Wisconsin are launching a $3 million effort to address health disparities in Wisconsin, which have been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic.
University of Wisconsin is planning a Badgers block party … in Milwaukee’s Deer District
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
From an ocean of green to a sea of red. It really is Christmas in July at the Deer District.
Maybe Frank Kaminsky will be present for both?
Though the Milwaukee Bucks playoff run will be over one way or another by July 29, the Deer District will still be a hot spot for local sports celebration, though this time it’s for a brand outside the city.
Wisconsin educators help design ‘Shipwrecks!’ game
PBS Wisconsin
During the 2020-21 academic year, 14 Wisconsin third through fifth grade teachers took part in the Shipwrecks! Game Design Fellowship with PBS Wisconsin Education and Field Day Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout the winter, these educators met with teachers, game designers, researchers and maritime archaeologists to co-design a video game that investigates shipwrecks in the Great Lakes using the practices of maritime archaeologists.
A ‘Path To Healing’: Partnership Between UW-Madison, Sister City Addresses Post-War Trauma In El Salvador
Wisconsin Public Radio
It’s still difficult for Rosa Rivera y Rivera to talk about the village she grew up in. Decimated by the Salvadoran Civil War that left more than 75,000 civilians dead, she hasn’t been back to the land since 1980.
Vilas Zoo plans to vaccinate some animals against COVID-19 with experimental drug
Wisconsin State Journal
Mary Thurber, clinical instructor in zoological medicine at UW-Madison and Vilas’ primary veterinarian, said zookeepers continue to take precautions around animals potentially at risk of contracting COVID-19, including wearing facemasks.
A New York Times article sought to expose Wausau and Marathon County’s racial tensions. Some say that ‘snapshot’ only made things worse.
Wausau Daily Herald
Quoted: Doug McLeod, a journalism professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said conflict can indeed be threatening, especially to smaller cities, and that the national attention that Wausau is receiving would “disappear into everything else” in a city like New York or Chicago.
“(Conflicts) can be more divisive, they can raise tensions in smaller communities,” said McLeod, who studies social conflicts and the mass media. “Those communities might look for scapegoats to place blame, (and) it’s often the person coming in from outside — like a journalist from New York.”
Madison Mini Marathon will be virtual for second consecutive year
Wisconsin State Journal
Adding to the confusion, the university earlier this month put out new guidance that would now allow for the Mini Marathon to take place in person. But Graves said it’s too late at this point to rework the entire event for an in-person format.
Nonprofits look to improve Wisconsin homeownership disparity
Wisconsin State Journal
Noted: Comments from Kurt Paulsen, Kris Olds and Paige Glotzer.
There Is No Art Without Culture, No Culture Without Community
WORT FM
Chris Walker is a renowned dancer and the founding Artistic Director of the groundbreaking First Wave hip-hop program at UW-Madison, and was recently appointed director of the Division of Arts. He joins us to talk about the power of art, and what is happening with art and diversity at UW-Madison.
‘This is our city too’: Progress Center for Black Women moves to Capitol Square
Capital Times
In an interview from the new office, she said being downtown will help the Progress Center form partnerships with local businesses and would put the Center closer to many current clients, including those who work for or attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dane County lifts mask mandate, other COVID-19 restrictions
The Capital Times
After months of county-wide caps on gatherings, capacity limits and face covering requirements, COVID-19 restrictions in Wisconsin’s second-biggest county have come to an end.
Wisconsin Latinx History Collective to enrich state’s historical narrative over the next 5 years
Madison 365
Noted: The Wisconsin Latinx history collective is an organization created in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) and the UW–Madison Chican@ & Latin@ Studies Program and will spend the next five years documenting the history of Latinx people in the state of Wisconsin.
Officially created in January of last year, the collective began with the meeting between Arenas and four other academics, including historian and UW–Madison assistant professor Dr. Marla Ramírez Tahuado; UW–Madison Associate Professor with the School for Workers Dr. Armando Ibarra; cultural anthropologist and assistant professor of geography and Chican@ & Latin@ studies Dr. Almita Miranda; and assistant professor of Latinx Studies at Marquette University Sergio González.
New partnership works to improve vaccine hesitancy for families
WKOW-TV 27
Quoted: UW professor Christine Whelan has shared her expertise as part of Dear Pandemic, helping people understand how to talk with others about their COVID-19 fears.
“We can see people who say, absolutely I will never get the vaccine, and a couple of weeks later, they change their mind. So, interestingly enough the research has found that it is much easier to change your opinion, than it is to change your behavior,” she said.
UW athletic department helps youth football league get back on the field after a fire destroys the players’ equipment
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Not long ago, officials from East Side Youth Athletics feared they wouldn’t be able to continue offering grade-school children the opportunity to learn about football.
Bigger event on hold but Casting for Kids organizers hope to raise $100,000 for charities
Wisconsin State Journal
A scaled-down version of Casting for Kids returns to Madison’s four lakes on Saturday, with the Green Lantern Restaurant in McFarland as the post-fishing headquarters. University of Wisconsin men’s hockey associate head coach Mark Osiecki hopes to raise $100,000 for the American Family Children’s Hospital and the UW Carbone Cancer Center through the outing and an online memorabilia auction.
Dane County No. 1 in COVID-19 vaccination among large U.S. counties
Wisconsin State Journal
With nearly 63% of Dane County residents receiving at least one dose of the vaccine and new cases down, “we’ve temporarily reached a point where there’s adequate immunity and not a ton of new disease being reintroduced … but it’s a moving target,” said Dr. James Conway, a UW health pediatrician and vaccine expert.
“We’re getting really close” to herd immunity, said UW-Madison infectious disease epidemiologist Malia Jones, but “there’s no way to figure out exactly what it is until after the fact.”
Milwaukee-area Muslim community celebrates Eid al-Fitr, end of Ramadan with outdoor festival, fun for
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Rawan Hamadeh of Brookfield, who just finished her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was at the festival surveying people about their vaccination status.
“There are a lot of rumors being spread about the vaccine and how safe it is,” Hamadeh said. “Our goal is, if they aren’t vaccinated and they don’t want to be vaccinated, to try to educate them and inform them that there is nothing in the vaccine that can harm you.”
Indoor mask order still in effect for Dane County, but ‘update’ expected next week
Wisconsin State Journal
Despite no immediate change in Dane County, the guidance is the “proof in the pudding” the vaccination effort is how the country returns to normalcy, said Dr. Jeff Pothof, chief quality officer at UW Health.
Dane County leads state in COVID-19 vaccination, but racial disparities persist
Wisconsin State Journal
Dr. Jasmine Zapata’s mother and husband weren’t sure they wanted to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but after talking with her about their concerns they got immunized in March. Zapata, a UW Health pediatrician who is Black, is having similar conversations with patients, before church groups, at school forums and with friends and other family — pretty much anyone she knows who wants help making a decision.
UW-Madison graduation weekend gives boost to downtown businesses
NBC-15
On Saturday, the UW-Madison Class of 2021 will celebrate commencement in-person. The graduation ceremony is only for the students; parents and guests of the graduates are not allowed in Camp Randall.Area businesses say this decision is bringing a much needed influx of customers.
With hard lessons from the pandemic and protests, Madison looks to forge the next Downtown
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is in the process reimagining Library Mall — the area featuring Hagenah Fountain between the Wisconsin Historical Society and Memorial Library — the last piece of the East Campus Mall project from Regent Street to Lake Mendota. “I would say that the overall goal is to make this another entryway, or front door to the campus … one that is indeed welcoming to all people and helps open the university and its amazing events to everyone,” said Gary Brown, the university’s director of campus planning and landscape architecture.
UW program sees increase in clients experiencing homelessness with pets
NBC-15
A University of Wisconsin program that provides veterinary medical care and social services to some Dane County residents reports they are seeing an increase in homeless pet owners.
Madison issues warnings for Mifflin Street block parties
NBC-15
The police department plans to notify the University of Wisconsin if anyone is cited for illegal activity on or around April 24 for its Office of the Dean of Students and Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards to determine if further action is warranted.
Efforts ramp up to vaccinate people of color against COVID-19 in Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Journal
UW Health has had a few “vaccine racial equity days” at its Arboretum Clinic on South Park Street and plans to continue holding at least one a week, said Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, chief diversity officer. Groups representing communities of color invite people to come, and interpreters and printed materials in several languages are available, she said.
District 8 Alder candidates conflict over statement denying sexual assault survivorship
Badger Herald
Alder candidate Juliana Bennett says candidate Ayomi Obuseh’s claims were about her, while Obuseh says her post was not directed at Bennett.
12 Rounds with Gia Gallimore
Madison 365
Interview with Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association Director of Alumni Engagement Gia Gallimore.
Know Your Madisonian: UW-Madison pharmacy student helps administer COVID-19 vaccines
Wisconsin State Journal
About 17 years ago, Alex Peterson-Weber, who was about 6 at the time, moved to Madison from Boulder, Colorado. After graduating from Memorial High School in 2015, Peterson-Weber, now 23, spent three years as an undergrad at UW-Madison before joining the university’s School of Pharmacy in 2018.
Local Asian-American community grieves victims of Atlanta shooting
NBC-15
“I’ve been hurting a lot this week,” said UW-Madison student Juliet Chang. Another UW student, Manola Inthavong, said she fears what happened in Atlanta will not be the last act of violence.
“Asian is not the virus; racism is”: Hundreds march for Asian American lives in downtown Madison after Atlanta shootings
Daily Cardinal
The demonstration, organized largely by the UW BIPOC Coalition, attracted a diverse crowd of over 200 individuals to advocate for the safety of Madison’s AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islander) communities.