Seeing as how I was allowed the privilege to use this opinion section to usher in the beginning of this last academic year, I hope that I will be allowed the privilege of sifting and winnowing out some judgment on the past academic year with the same fearlessness the readers of The Daily Cardinal have come to expect.
Looking back over the social and political changes that have occurred since Welcome Week, it is easy to assign the past academic year with a simple, coherent theme-namely, that 2002-'03 was the Year of Iraq. Ever since the \Axis of Evil"" speech, there existed a realization that after Afghanistan, there was at least a 33 percent chance that Iraq would become the next subject of reckoning by an injured, protective and vengeful America. And after much painful debate and demonstration, the United States finally checked Saddam's regime off its ""to-do"" list, the implications of which are still unfolding.
But it is so hard to pay attention to the themes that color American policy and current events; Madison is slowly shaking off the chains of winter and revealing all its colorful beauty to those not completely preoccupied with all the stress and panic that accompanies the end of the academic year. By the end of the school year, the weather and the academic workload combine to create an irresistible nihilism-it is damn near impossible to maintain any coherent train of thought when Wisconsin finally becomes 70 degrees and sunny.
If nothing else, change has come to Mad Town, change for the individual and for the community. Just as we all have adjusted to the changes and epiphanies that life, family, friends and loved ones all provide, so too has the last academic year nudged Madison into maturing further as a community. The ""Year of Iraq"" has forced Madison to coexist with its marketplace of ideas: Hawks and doves both have had to account for their philosophies, while the silent majorities and minorities pondered the morality and implications of America's foreign policy. The generation gap finally found a bridge between the age groups; at times the past year seemed like a reunion tour of the Vietnam War. While this ideological baptism of fire has caused deep rifts within the student body over political and social philosophy, it has nevertheless impacted Madison for the better.
Any time that two people can sit down, present philosophies and allow and respect the presentation of opposing philosophies, both people can walk away enlightened. Madison, especially this year, has been the much-needed place for that to happen. We have all gained a greater understanding of the world around us in addition to the complexities and stark realities of domestic and foreign policy. We have all learned about the dynamics of the drunken costumed rioter and police officer relationship, the depths to which reality television can sink and the thrill that accompanies a Big Ten championship.
As college students begin to fumble with their mortarboards or plan for the next academic year, they should take comfort in the fact that the university will continue to be a marketplace of ideas. The freedom to pursue limitless knowledge, opportunities and paths is a bitterly contested one, both here and abroad. Whether or not another year of academia awaits you, thank the people and institutions that have made that freedom accessible. Make sure that others can join you in the utilization of that freedom and safeguard it.
As long as there are people who have the desire and courage to fearlessly sift and winnow for truth, there will always be the university. But as long there are people willing to sift and winnow for truth while they have the times of their lives, there will always be the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Y'all come back now, y'hear?
