Happy Pi Day!

Good morning, Madison.

Happy Monday, and above all else, happy Pi Day!

Today is the day we celebrate the mathematical constant of Pi, represented in numbers by 3.14 (more or less).

Where are you getting your pie fix today? Tag us on instagram or Twitter to share your sweet treats.

— Hayley

✡️ A rise in antisemitic incidents on campus.

• The university has released a statement following an uptick in reported antisemetic events on the University of Wisconsin campus. Among the incidents were reports of a swastika found etched into a dorm bathroom stall and a student who faced antisemitic slurs while walking down Langdon Street.
• According to The Daily Cardinal, UW Housing is working with UWPD to investigate the dorm bathroom incident.
• The bigger picture: According to a survey from the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents on college campuses reached an all-time high in the 2020-21 school year.

🎒 Another top MMSD administrator is leaving.

• Madison Metropolitan School District's chief academic officer Marvin Pryor is leaving his post after 18 months on the job, Cap Times reports.
• Pryor, who had been splitting his time between Madison and Atlanta, is moving back to Atlanta full-time to be with his family.
• At a recent school board meeting, Pryor praised MMSD and superintendent Carlton Jenkins for the district's work to better serve the needs of students of color. Though he stressed the job is far from over.

“I challenge you to continue to deconstruct and reconstruct policies, practices and procedures that make matters different for our Black and brown students. If we don’t do it, it’s not going to be done.” — Marvin Pryor, outgoing MMSD chief academic officer

🏀 March Madness mode activated.

• The Wisconsin Badgers found out during Sunday’s selection show that they'll be heading into this year's NCAA tournament as a 3-seed in the Midwest Region.
• Wisconsin’s first game is 8:50 p.m. this Friday. The Badgers will take on 14-seed Colgate in Milwaukee. Let's dance.
• Related: Get your gear ASAP. Badgers merchandise stores see big increase in sales ahead of March Madness (WKOW)

♻️ The city is making plans to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030.

• How? The city recently announced a plan to invest in a plant-based alternative to diesel fuel for its fleet vehicles. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has also said she hopes to have 100% electric buses in use for the impending bus rapid transit system (BRT).
• As WPR reports, nearly 75% of electricity for city operations currently comes from renewable sources. While Rhodes-Conway is confident about the city's ability to run on 100% renewable energy and net-zero emissions by 2030, state regulations are making it harder to reach that goal.

🚧 The neighborhood isn't thrilled with the potential reconstruction of Lake Mendota Drive.

• Nearly 200 residents have signed a petition asking the city to slow down its plans to reconstruct part of Lake Mendota Drive, Cap Times reports.
• The west side residents reportedly worry about the environmental impact of the project as well as its potential to disrupt the historical and cultural aspects of the neighborhood. Some also take issue with the city's "top-down" decision making process.
• Context: The city announced plans to reconstruct part of Lake Mendota Drive on Madison’s west side. As it currently stands, the project calls for "paved sidewalks on both sides of the drive, the installation of gutters and curbs, traffic calming measures and a narrowing of the road itself," Cap Times writes.

🎥 What's hot at the Wisconsin Film Festival.

• It's been three years since the last in-person Wisconsin Film Festival but the nation's largest campus-based film fest will be back and screening April 7-14.
• Our friends at Tone Madison took a deep dive into the festival's guide —which you can pick up in the latest print edition of Isthmus — and mused over not only over this year's film selection, but what it means for the event to resume in its full capacity.

🇺🇦 Your lunchtime read: Madison Magazine editor reflects on her family’s Baltic roots in light of events in Ukraine.

• From Madison Magazine: "I’m a proud Latvian American, a dual citizen and fluent in Latvian. Three of my grandparents escaped Latvia during the Soviet Union’s occupation and made a home in the United States as part of the Latvian Diaspora. My heritage is ingrained in every piece of who I am, from the spelling of my name to the ring I wear every day to the way I communicate with my family. That connection to my culture is why I feel so much empathy for those in Ukraine. My Baltic homeland and Ukraine have a shared history — two countries that have been occupied by different regimes and not allowed to openly rejoice in their traditions. This all feels like a story that I’ve heard before, because I have."

🦠 Covid-19 Update

Wisconsin Vaccination Rate: 60.6%

Dane County Vaccination Rate: 78.3%

Resources

• Here's where to find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.
• Need a COVID-19 test? PHMDC has you covered.
• Do you still need your flu shot? Start here.
• Request an at-home testing kit from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
• Where to pick up free masks from the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
• Where to Buy N95s, KN95s, and Surgical-Style Masks in 2022 (Wirecutter)
• What to Do if You are Sick or Possibly Exposed (PHMDC)

📅 Events: Monday, March 14

• Open Mic Comedy Night at The Bur Oak. 7-11 p.m. Free.
• The Moth Madison StorySLAM: Awards at High Noon Saloon. Short stories about the spoils achievement (trophies, honors, gifts, etc). Stories begin at 7:30 p.m. $15.