Opinion - The Daily Cardinal

OPINION

It is time to solve our obesity crisis

By Sergey Fedossov | Mar. 4, 2015

It is a well-known fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and much of the developed world. Our bodies have not yet evolved to accommodate our new sugar, salt and cholesterol-rich diets, seeing as these things were all but delicacies in the Paleolithic Age. Now, rates of obesity-related illness are through the roof in both adults and children. It seems no matter how much Americans are told by the government they should go and live healthier lives, obesity won’t go away.

OPINION

During tough times, lean on those who care about you

By Marisa Bernstein | Mar. 4, 2015

Do you ever have one of those days where it feels as though all of your mistakes have caught up to you? You know those mornings when you wake up wishing you could take back that stupid thing you did last weekend, or thinking you should call your mom more often or contemplating an attempt to finish that calculus assignment that was due last week? Those mornings where it feels as though you wake up to a mountain of thoughts all disorderly jumbled inside your head? About two weeks ago, I had one of those mornings.

OPINION

Reselling your Badger tickets? Keep prices reasonable

By Marisa Bernstein | Mar. 4, 2015

I love my WisCard. It makes me feel like I live in a monopoly land. “That will be $3.27,” says the cashier at the dining hall as I whimsically hand them my magical card that somehow holds the key to the imaginary land full of money and sugar and access to the SERF. My WisCard doesn’t care what my GPA is, and my WisCard is always there when I need a workout or an omelet.

OPINION

Greek life needs to be more inclusive

By JoEllen Amato and Samantha Gottstein | Mar. 4, 2015

When I registered for Panhellenic sorority recruitment last summer I did not know the process would lead me to meet 50 girls who would forever change my college experience. You are likely thinking, “Great… another sappy, over-peppy sorority girl article,” but I can assure you this is not the case. Instead, I would like to bring your attention to something that goes unnoticed within UW-Madison’s Greek recruitment process: the lack of representation from the neighboring Madison Area Technical College community.

OPINION

Defeating Boko Haram requires admitting previous failures

By Hae Rin Lee | Mar. 2, 2015

Our world is ravaged by multiple terrorist groups, and we desperately need to find some solutions to terminate these threats. I think to solve these tremendous problems, a careful approach with an equally tremendous effort is required. It is important to remember, however, to learn from failed efforts to stop terrorist groups. One such failure is the Nigerian government’s efforts to eliminate the troubles of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

OPINION

Letter to the editor: Right-to-work will drive down wages

By Danny Levandoski | Mar. 2, 2015

Last week, Gov. Walker officially made the decision to sign so-called “Right to Work” if it landed on his desk. This announcement by the presumed 2016 presidential candidate has caused an uproar throughout the state. When Republicans opened a forum this week to address the issue, thousands of union workers and supporters from across Wisconsin flocked to the steps of the capital to give testimony on how this bill will affect not only their lives, but the lives of their co-workers, family, and friends. Union brothers and sisters were standing in freezing temperatures together singing songs of how “the union makes us strong,” and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO had a whole lineup of speakers to rally the troops, make noise, and show the legislators that they have upset many working Wisconsinites.

OPINION

Cardinal View: Right-to-work legislation is pure politics

By The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board | Mar. 2, 2015

As the Republicans swept through statehouses, governor’s mansions and Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010, there was an almost immediate reaction from one of the left’s biggest supporters: unions. Legislation proposed in the beginning of 2011 that would bar public sector unions from a practice known as collective bargaining sparked the reaction. From Madison, Wis., to Columbus, Ohio, union members became the backbone of weeks-long protests that gripped Rust Belt states.

OPINION

Don’t sacrifice living in the moment for the big picture

By Marisa Bernstein | Mar. 2, 2015

Sunday. The day of rest never seems to live up to expectations. For me, it usually includes relentlessly avoiding my homework for hours, consuming copious amounts of peanut butter cups, always followed by the crippling realization that it’s 10 p.m. and I have accomplished next to nothing all day. I always have to pay for my Sundays later in the week, which usually results in very long nights doing the mindless assignments that I had previously deemed a “waste of my weekend” and subsequently refused to complete them until the night before they’re due.

OPINION

President Obama seeks congressional authorization to take new direction against ISIL

By Sergey Fedossov | Feb. 25, 2015

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a group of butchers. There is no question to the atrocities they are guilty of, from inhumane executions of prisoners, to organ trafficking and child prostitution, these disgusting religious extremists deserve nothing less than swift retribution. However, this white-knuckled rage against a stateless, seemingly faceless enemy, is a dangerous one that led us to the quagmire that was the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Looking at US military policy from the conflicts in the Middle East over the past decade, I believe there are things that could have been done differently, both on the battlefield and off of it. High civilian casualties, an absence of reliable government, and lack of dedicated humanitarian aid/infrastructure development after the siege of Baghdad led to a failure that even the most hard-nosed conservative would be pressed to support entirely. Despite this idea of temperance and looking toward history, my anger rose again when I wondered how many more headlines I would have to read of civilians executed by ISIL. Countries such as Jordan, with far fewer resources than the United States, have responded in kind to ISIL, showing they will not be cowed. My fears were put to rest a few weeks ago when it was announced President Obama was holding an address to the nation regarding action against ISIL.

OPINION

Republican's foreign policy strategies are tired and dated

By Benjamin Rangel | Feb. 24, 2015

The New York Times published an article this past Tuesday stressing the importance of foreign policy in the impending race among Republican presidential contenders. With the national economy improving under President Obama’s term and foreign policy challenges, like the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East and U.S.-Russia relations surrounding the Ukraine crisis, hawkish conservatives will undoubtedly look for political strength in foreign issues.

OPINION

In college, it pays to be thoughtful

By Samuel Fritz | Feb. 23, 2015

Back in May 2014, Purdue collaborated with Gallup, the public opinion baron, to publish a report on the factors of postgraduate well-being. The result was a beautiful 24-page document that looks for a “holistic view of college graduates’ lives,” one that departs from the typical college metrics of statistics and rankings and “reflect[s] the myriad [of] reasons why students go to college.” Purdue and Gallup wanted to find if college was doing as much as it promised to help grads attain satisfying jobs and happy lives.

OPINION

Academy award winners use acceptance speeches to preach acceptance

By Lilly Hanson | Feb. 23, 2015

While the Oscars were a televised event of musical numbers and stars dressed in gorgeous evening wear, there was something about the ceremony that resurrected more feelings than usual. As is the norm at award shows, actors accepted awards with meaningful and poignant speeches.

OPINION

Franchise fatigue prompts film debate

By Elijah Gray | Feb. 22, 2015

Of the 10 highest-grossing films of 2014, eight were franchises and half of those eight were superhero films. Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of the independently produced “Birdman,” proclaimed in a Rolling Stone interview that these movies are “ruining things in a lot of ways” and “keep taking up room that could be going to smaller films.” Conversely, when asked by Rolling Stone if there are too many superhero films on the market, Paul Thomas Anderson, who helmed the also independently produced “Inherent Vice,” quipped that “people need to get a life if they’re having that discussion.”

OPINION

Staying in the moment is the key to exceeding expectations

By Yeonju Oh | Feb. 22, 2015

Many advertising agencies and other experts annually review marketing industry reports for current trends. I believe that trend reports tremendously help marketers to shape and plan various marketing strategies. I acknowledge that the rudiments of marketing always seem to be coherent, how one applies these fundamentals to altering trends is crucial. This is what I believe to be the most intriguing and interesting trend of this year: exceeding expectations in unexpected ways.

OPINION

Cardinal View: High-rises bring affordability concerns

By The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board | Feb. 18, 2015

Creating a downtown housing market based almost solely on luxury apartments, in the eyes of this Editorial Board, does not provide sufficient means for stunting student housing prices. Moreover, it puts the needs of students, who, for what it’s worth, have in recent history been the backbone of Madison’s downtown economy, behind those of young professionals—a group the city is clearly working to attract with new development.

OPINION

Battling mental health illness alone is never the answer

By Cullen Voss | Feb. 18, 2015

I have a therapist. I’ve never felt completely confident admitting that fact to people, even my immediate family. Now, however, I think it’s important, particularly for university students, to know that you are not alone in fighting your mental health problems. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in every four Americans will experience a mental health condition at least once in their life. It’s also important to know that anyone can be effected by a mental health problem. Abraham Lincoln, Isaac Newton, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, Terry Bradshaw, Princess Diana, Sheryl Crow, Jim Carrey, Ashley Judd, J.K. Rowling, Heath Ledger and, most recently, Robin Williams all suffered from mental health problems. It is not simply a poor person’s problem or a drug user’s problem.

NASA runs trial of submersible in Lake Mendota

OPINION

Walker will shirk governor role in presidential campaign

By Benjamin Rangel | Feb. 17, 2015

It is no secret that Gov. Scott Walker has his heart set on making a presidential run in 2016, or at the very least he is seriously thinking about it. He is ranking in the top four among potential Republican candidates in almost every poll and was the first to open an office in Iowa to explore such a run. However, this means the closer we inch toward the 2016 election, the less time the governor will have to, well, govern. This should give rise to concerns among not only residents of Wisconsin, but also hopeful supporters of Walker’s presidential run, since he will be fighting a political war on two fronts.

OPINION

Soglin is Madison, forever and always

By Max Lenz | Feb. 17, 2015

On the night of October 18, 1967, Paul Soglin needed some stitches. His cuts and bruises served as tattoos commemorating one of the darkest and most famous moments in the history of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Earlier that day, Soglin and a large group of students met in what is now Ingraham Hall for the second installment of a demonstration protesting the on-campus interviews being held by the Dow Chemical Company, one of the principal producers of napalm for the United States military. While remaining peaceful, the students were eventually ordered out of the building, which led to a bloody conflict. Those enforcing the removal were police officers for the city of Madison.

OPINION

City’s troubled taxis face competition

By Samantha Gottstein | Feb. 16, 2015

Coming from someone who was an absolute insomniac in high school, the concept of a 24-hour library on campus was a game-changer my first semester. At around 1 a.m., I found myself in a state of delirium that another cup of coffee could just not resolve. It was time to go home. However, I found myself in a state of panic when I realized that my friends were long gone, and I was now in a position to walk alone. While it was merely a block from College Library to my building, my inner drama queen took over, creating seemingly endless horror stories of what could happen on my commute back. As a result, I opted to call a UW Transportation Services “campus-approved” cab, which I thought would be a painless process. From the time I got through to dispatch to being dropped off in front of my building, it had been 30 minutes. Exhausted and annoyed, I fell asleep knowing that I would not be using the cab company again.

OPINION

Fifty Shades of Grey defies typical Hollywood style

By Lilly Hanson | Feb. 16, 2015

I hate to give the best-selling book and box office hit movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey” any more time in the spotlight, but there are a few things that need to be said before the movie becomes old news.