The Teaching Assistants' Association announced Sunday it will not hold a grade strike at the end of the semester. TAs proved their strength last week and now students can breathe a sigh of relief.
Sunday's announcement proved the TAs have both power and compassion. Some students complained that they were pawns in the strike, but the TAA listened to students' concerns and pulled the grade strike. Students should realize the strike was in the university's best interest-UW-Madison is only as good as its TAs-and should continue to stand with the TAs.
By shutting down UW-Madison last Tuesday and Wednesday, the TAs showed the state legislators they are a force to be reckoned with and are a real threat to university operations.
Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Legislature is following arbitrary budget rules that require state employees to pay part of their health care. Although the TAs' proposal saves the state money by asking for a lower pay raise, the state is standing stubbornly and irrationally. The state is alienating taxpayers.
Now that the TAs have proved their power to the university, it is time for the university and the TAA to go to the state together. The TAA considered students when it decided not to hold a grade strike; now it is time for students to stand behind their TAs and confront the state.
For the eighth year in a row, community members and police officers can pat themselves on the back for a job well done in organizing and executing the Mifflin Street Block Party. Festivities went off without major incidents of violence or any of the rioting that historically plague our annual Halloween celebration.
The wild card at this year's block party, of course, was the implementation of a four-keg per house limit. Despite our initial reservations, the limit seemed to prove its merit. Although not adhered to strictly, the limit served as a general deterrent, causing houses that otherwise would have had dozens of kegs to reconsider. The reduced amount of alcohol caused the party to dry up earlier than usual and consequently sent most revelers home before nighttime, when the party becomes most dangerous. Now that the party has ended safely, however, there is talk by the police department of fining houses that violated the limit.
We strongly encourage the police not to pursue this option. Since the party went without violence and community members were in compliance with the police's most important safety requests, there is no reason to fine anyone after the fact. Doing so will only increase resentment toward the police and foster an \us-versus-them"" mentality that may be counterproductive in making next year's party as successful as this year's.
