Opinion

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Nat upgrade not worth seg fee hike

Although Chancellor Biddy Martin declared this the Year of the Humanities, today we vote on the remodeling and expansion of the Natatorium. The Nat is an object of aesthetic scorn among students and faculty for its uninviting exterior and apparent lack of up-to-date workout equipment. But during a time of already rising segregated fees and a rough economy, we cannot possibly condone the construction of a replacement athletic facility that will rely on the lopsided blitz of a financial plan proposed by NatUp 2010.

Beware the darker side of health care

It's been three weeks since America's health care system was fundamentally transformed. The bill, which was debated for the better part of a year, finally passed 219-212 despite bipartisan opposition and an overwhelming majority of Americans in disagreement. Now that the dust is settling and we are finally getting a chance to read the 2,000 page bill in its entirety one thing is clear, Americans want the bill repealed. According to the most recent CBS poll only 32 percent of Americans approve of the bill which was passed by playing Washington politics with one sixth of our economy. Now the legal challenges are coming up in states across the country as attorneys general, including Wisconsin's own J.B. Van Hollen, begin to challenge the constitutionality of the bill.

Take present and future into consideration before voting on Nat update

In the interests of full disclosure, I would like to state that I am a Rec Sports employee. I have taught Group-X fitness classes at both the SERF and the Nat for 2 years.

Nat renovation not ideal, still necessary for campus progress

A constant countdown clock ticks away the time separating UW-Madison students from Election Day on the NatUP 2010 website. Within a week the decision to give birth to a new and fresh member of the University of Wisconsin family of buildings rests in the hands of those attending it. Will you vote in favor of the NatUP proposal, or will you suck the life out of the futuristic drawings designed to give voters a sneak peek into the potential athletic facility to come?

ASM slates detrimental to student gov't process

Although it may not be obvious on the ballot, one monster is rearing its ugly head yet again this ASM election cycle — slates. Slates are ASM's version of political parties, but they often last a year at most. FACES, a slate that fared well in Student Council elections last year, has all but imploded and been wiped from the campus consciousness. Some years, ASM goes without any slates. Students represent students without the filter of politicized alliances.

Textbook committee essential to reducing textbook costs

In the Daily Cardinal article, ""Textbook Committee Superfluous,"" the editorial board argued that the creation of a shared governance committee that would focus on textbook cost would ultimately not greatly benefit students.

Editorial Cartoon: April 6, 2010

Athletic Board must maintain oversight

An ad hoc committee of the Faculty Senate stated in a recently released report that the university's Athletic Board is largely in compliance with Faculty Policies and Procedures regarding its role in oversight of the Athletic Department.

Editorial Board dissent: Johnson best for board

Regardless of the outcome of tomorrow's Dane County Board of Supervisors' election, District 5 representation will be greatly improved. However, we must raise a voice in opposition to the Editorial Board's endorsement of Democratic candidate Analiese Eicher. Eicher, who we are sure would make the Dane County seat more visible on campus and greatly improve student outreach, is regrettably ill-prepared for the job of District 5 representative. Her opponent Michael Johnson has shown that he will be the best at representing students with integrity and determination.

Letter to the Editor: Vote NO on seg fee increase for Nat

As a first-year graduate student and teaching assistant at UW, I am incredibly concerned about the proposed increase in segregated fees that will be voted on during the April 12-14 ASM election. I am concerned not only because I will be a graduate student at UW for who-knows-how-long and therefore paying seg fees for who-knows-how-long, but mostly because UW has been steadily increasing students' segregated fees each year, making me fearful that by the time I get out of here, I will be spending over a quarter of my TA salary to pay for segregated fees (currently an average TA spends 9 percent of his or her annual salary on segregated fees).

Vote Eicher for District 5

Gut instinct would tell us to go with the experienced candidate. But all apologies to Stephen Colbert, sometimes it's best to let your gut stick to digestive duties and let your brain make the decisions. We have taken a look at Michael Johnson's experience, and we were not entirely fond of what we saw. Instead, we feel the best choice is Analiese Eicher, who seems more open to communicate with constituents and better represent students.

Johnson campaign asks citizens of District 5 for their support

I declared my candidacy for the Dane County Board of Supervisors with one thing in mind: to make the great city of Madison a better place to live, work and learn for all members of the community. With that in mind my campaign is working continuously on a grassroots level in order to better assist my future constituents with their wants, needs and expectations for the city of Madison.

Stipend increases a discredit to ASM

On Monday night, the Student Services Finance Committee of the Associated Students of Madison approved two major ASM bylaw changes. Unfortunately, neither student newspaper has covered this story in depth. But most students would be pissed to know the circumstances.

College Democrats endorse Eicher

As the College Democrats of Madison, we strive to advance progressive issues that benefit the student population. We work to elect officials at all levels of government who support our agenda and keep in mind the interests of students. It is for these reasons that we are proud to support our fellow student, Analiese Eicher, for Dane County Supervisor in the 5th District.

Don't give credence to revisionist histories

Recently, a government has begun to transform and misconstrue history. Textbooks have been re-written to cater to political squabbles instead of facts, and school children are being exposed to the bias of politics instead of the accuracy of history. People have noticed, yet nothing can be done to stop these ludicrous alterations.

Time for UW to say goodbye to pesticides

The sun is shining and it appears that winter is finally over. Students are flocking to grassy areas around campus to study in the sweet sunshine. But what are they sitting, lying and playing on? The first thought that may come to mind is probably not pesticides, but it's true. Every student who is sitting, walking or lying on Bascom Hill is being exposed to pesticides and harmful endocrine disrupters.

Letter to the Editor: District 5 candidate responds to criticism of comments

To the Madison and campus community: Recently, insensitive comments that I made two years ago concerning Jewish students have been discussed by both The Daily Cardinal and Badger Herald in relation to my current campaign.

Editorial Cartoon: March 23, 2010

Mystery of the missing contracts

Wisconsin's Sunshine Act might as well be a legislative call for spring to come early. Enacted in 2005 in the spirit of a more transparent government, the bill mandated that all state contracts greater than $10,000 be posted to a centralized website. Four years later, that admirable piece of legislation has turned out to be a toothless joke.

Library snag may mean opportunity

Plans for a new Central Library were altered last week when Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Fiore Companies called it quits over negotiations concerning construction of the new building downtown. But even the disappointed must be breathing a sigh of relief now that all the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Central Library is finally over. There is no more worrying to be done regarding the location or architecture of a building, the costs of a construction company or developer, or role of public works and the taxpayer's dollar. In fact, one could say that new life has been breathed into a project bogged down for two years with red tape and planning.