Madison Commons

The sun poked out of the grey clouds on an early Saturday morning. The air was slightly chilly but warm enough to ditch the heavy coats required to brave the first few months of the year. The sidewalks were still slick with rain. Spring had finally arrived in Madison after a long Wisconsin winter. And with it, an array of vendors with unique handmade jewelry, crafts, pottery and more were set up at tables wrapping around the Capitol square. Ceramic mushrooms peeked out from bright tablecloths.

By Tina Martinez Student mental health is a serious issue, and schools need to do more to support students: Acting out in class is common, along with students missing school. Students are choosing to withdraw from activities. There is a great amount of pressure because most students have a goal to succeed academically, but that also leads to burnout, stress, anxiety and a lack of focus. It’s not always obvious because it’s often overlooked.

By Tina Marie Martinez I remember the moment everything decided to start falling apart. It wasn’t just one event. It was a series of unfortunate events, slowly piling up. I tried so hard to stay on track financially, but no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I kept falling behind. The bills didn’t stop coming in, the responsibilities didn’t stop, the pressure kept building up. It got to a point where I was so overwhelmed, like I was carrying way more than I could handle.

By Bethany Stacey Throughout school Richard Brissette of Madison struggled with reading comprehension and decision-making. His mother moved him to various schools trying to find the best fit for him as his needs stretched beyond academics. Brissette has mild autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. “My worst memories, take-aways, are being bullied as an eighth grader in middle school,” Brissette said. Richard Brissette of Madison identifies as being on the spectrum who won two Special Olympic medals.

By Marisol Gonzalez We are in a family therapy meeting after many interventions with the social worker of our son's middle school. The therapist is a blonde young woman who is turning red every time I raise my voice because I don’t know how to hide my disapproval of our son’s request. His voice is also elevated, requesting allowances for taking out the garbage, cleaning his room, mowing the lawn or raking the leaves.

By Alexandra Malatesta In the last few years, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve watched friends sit in lecture halls silently struggling – showing up, turning in assignments and still feeling completely overwhelmed. One of my closest friends once told me, “I don’t even know if I’m burnt out or if something’s actually wrong.” Moments like that make it clear: youth mental health isn’t abstract, it’s happening in real time, to people right in front of us.

By Dan Thomas It all starts at home. “From a mother’s standpoint, having to figure it out by yourself. Now I did it because I’m a tough cookie, but a lot of people fall into depression. You know what I’m saying? It can just tear somebody down. And then what is that child feeling mentally? Like, where’s my dad, or where’s my mom?” This is a quote from my mother, Deauna Greene — a mother of three and the woman I consider the matriarch of three generations of children.

By Alex Schmitz Years ago, people with disabilities either had to live at home with a permanent caretaker, or in a group home where they lived in cramped spac Housing solutions for people and families with disabilities is the motto for the Movin' Out Inc. nonprofit. e with a rigid care system that may or may not have worked with them, lacking any control in their own lives.

For three decades, Movin’ Out has quietly shaped Madison’s housing landscape by expanding access to and affordability of housing for people with disabilities and low-income residents. The organization’s newly released 30-year retrospective documents its transformation from a small parent-led initiative founded in 1995 into a major community housing nonprofit.

By Maneeya Leung In Dane County, only 13% of Black households own their homes compared to 64% of white households. Whether it be due to redlining or prohibitions to generational wealth, systemic barriers contribute to the racial disparity in homeownership well into today.