Opinion

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New printing model, same standard of excellence

The Daily Cardinal has seen and covered it all: turn-of-the-century celebrations, wars, assassinations, corruption, protests and back-to-back-to-back Rose Bowls. We’ve covered the news and brought it to you, our faithful readers. Throughout our dynamic history, The Daily Cardinal has been an independent source of news for our primary audience, University of Wisconsin-Madison students. At the Cardinal, our purpose is to present accurate, independent news relevant to students produced by students in a learning environment.

Obama Administration shows numeric improvement in United States' economy

President Barack Obama has now been in office for five years, and his approval rating is in the relatively low mid-40s range. Only about 40 percent of Americans approve of the way he has handled the economy. Despite these low numbers, almost every economic indicator has greatly improved over his presidency, and he has objectively done a great job of managing the economy. There seems to be a disconnect between public perception and the cold hard facts. Perhaps he is being blamed for long-term problems that admittedly require a long-term fix, such as the evaporation of America’s manufacturing base and the decline of wages as a percent of gross domestic product. These problems, however, are not new, and while he should attempt to remedy them, he should not be blamed for something that has been happening for 30 years. The truth is he has improved the economy and I for one, am glad that Obama’s economic policies have been guiding this nation for the past five years.

Obama's 2014 plan needs congressional support

President Barack Obama must feel like an unfortunate casualty of history. A president who came into office with big plans and a Congress who would facilitate the sort of change he campaigned on and surely believes in, but who has been met by unforeseen challenges and as of late, marred by seemingly insurmountable congressional bickering. Yet he knows he can’t make excuses. With only two years left to put the finishing touches on his legacy until history (the ruthless, unforgiving critic that it is) passes its own judgement, there is nothing left to do but be bold. And that is just what he seems to be doing. As a man known for calculated maneuvers better suited for a college professor than a politician pursuing an agenda of  “change,” Obama has come out swinging in 2014.

Letter to the editor: Non-traditional students should be better accommodated

On any given brisk fall day around the UW – Madison, you’re likely to see the campus teeming with so-called traditional students: students in their upper teens or lower twenties, laughing with friends as they walk to class or running to catch the bus or sipping on coffee while they study. Nothing about those students is out of the ordinary—they fulfill our traditional definition of “college student” and they no doubt belong at the University. When we see somebody walking down University Ave pushing a stroller and wearing a backpack, however, we start to feel a bit uncomfortable. A student who is a parent is dissonant with our accepted definition. The same thing happens when we are sitting in class and a middle-aged student raises their hand to ask a question. The people who complicate our understanding of “college student,” in the aforementioned and other ways, are specifically known as non-traditional students.

Letter to the editor: Food truck owners continue to plead for expansion

I’m greeting customers in front of Fried & Fabulous when a woman approaches followed by a man.  He’s being sexually aggressive.  She doesn’t know him and it’s pretty clear that the answer is no.  The line of people at my food cart band together with me to tell him to go away, and he does. 

Prison growth lacks moral fortitude

Tinder and the controversy it creates

Before we get into the dirty details of Tinder, let us first explain the app itself for those who are unfamiliar with it. Tinder is not a dating app. Rather, Tinder is an app used to meet people in your area. By annonymously likeing or rejecting profiles, only shared likes of one another can interact. This annonymous judgment essentially does away with open rejection because you can’t ever know if that “perfect ten” swiped a nope or they simply haven’t had the priviledge of finding you in the Tinder universe yet. It can essentially be used to date, hook-up, befriend, or form any type of relationship you’d like to form with those nearby. The creators of Tinder call it “the new way everyone is choosing to meet new people,” and the New York Times went as far as to say “The application is clearly addictive.” We are conflicted as to how we feel about it, so we have decided to create an open forum of debate which may be able to help you decide to Tinder or not to Tinder. Tinder has different reputations among different people. Which one does it deserve? Tell us what you think of Tinder.

New and improved, The Daily Cardinal welcomes Badgers back

Welcome back, Badgers! For those of you who are still in denial, second semester is already here, and it’s time to get back to the daily grind. While you may have been in hibernation mode, The Daily Cardinal was out and about still bringing you all your news. We were all over the coverage of the new UW System President Raymond Cross, and our sports editor traveled to Florida to bring you play-by-play news of the Capital One Bowl and the Badgers’ loss to the Gamecocks. 

Letter to the editor: Campus diversity should not be a burden, but an educational blessing

?These words are written on the second page of the University of Wisconsin-Madison viewbook. In recruiting, the university advertises this as a part of the Wisconsin Experience, and in choosing Bucky, students come here expecting the same. It is pivotal for the university to take an active role in helping foster and create that diverse environment.

Nelson Mandela's legacy continues to impact South Africa

Administration must work in tandem with students to create a positive campus climate

US should send a man to Mars

On Monday, China launched a lunar probe that will land on the moon. The nation’s first attempt was welcomed with national excitement and pride. The launch came shortly after the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death. Over the last several weeks, there has been debate over the effectiveness of President Kennedy’s administration and his external escapades; few have questioned the former president’s ability to inspire the American people 50 years after his death.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank needs to be more engaged in diversity planning

The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board believes that University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank should be more active in supporting diversity efforts on campus.Throughout the chancellor search process in Spring 2013, Blank was not outspoken about UW-Madison’s diversity. From her very first visits to campus, Blank did not champion improving diversity and campus climate as a priority. She instead focused many of her talks on expanding funding sources and connecting with students and faculty.

Sex education should be a positive, uniform experience

I’ve talked with countless people about their sex education. It varies so widely, it is amazing we can all come to any of the same conclusions about sex. Sex is almost universally desired and experienced, unlike almost every other subject we learn in school.

University must financially support diversity

This editorial is the first part in a three-part series exploring campus climate and the new Diversity Plan. The second and third parts will be published Friday and Monday, respectively.

Gun control debate continues to fade

There’s a white fence in the neighborhood of Newtown, Conn. Different from your ordinary yard staple, this one contains 26 pickets, each adorned with the name of a child or adult who didn’t make it out of Sandy Hook Elementary School. It has been nearly a year since 20-year-old Adam Lanza awoke, shot his mother in their home and went to Sandy Hook where his shooting rampage left 20 first-graders dead, as well as six teachers and workers before taking his own life. Last week a detailed report was released of the crime, outlining each event in excruciating detail but still leaving many questions forever unanswered. There is no clear motive or reasoning. Adam Lanza did not leave a suicide note explaining why he chose Sandy Hook to carry out his crime. One thing that remains undoubtedly clear is Lanza’s arsenal of weapons. Armed with an assault rifle, shotgun and pistol, he made his way into the elementary school and fired off over 150 bullets in a span of less than five minutes. That’s one bullet every two seconds. Following the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, there was an immediate outcry over gun control in this country, with debates between Democrats and Republicans, NRA members and anti-gun activists, raging at an all-time high. But with other governmental issues like the shutdown and admissions of NSA spying, the gun debate has slowly receded into the background of discussions our leaders are having.

GOP cannot stop Obama's appointments

Last week, the Senate voted to not allow the minority party to filibuster presidential nominations other than Supreme Court justices. I disagree with this move in principle, as I believe that the minority party should have rights. However, as someone who studies government and has watched as the minority party has acted in a self-serving manner in order to prevent the president from making basic appointments, it is difficult to make a pragmatic case against what the Senate Democrats did. The Republican strategy of blocking every nominee they can in order to prevent the Democratic president from getting what he wants is childish, and impedes the function of government. The minority party, regardless of which party it is, has no right to use politically opportunistic tactics to keep our democracy from functioning as it is intended. While the use of the nuclear option is justified to assure that the president can appoint people to fill vacancies in the government, it would not be justifiable if it extended to legislation.

US must maintain $5 billion commitment to The Global Fund

Much international attention has been given to the people of the Philippines who became victims of a massive typhoon just a week and a half ago. Understanding why aid is necessary and directing efforts toward outcome-oriented solutions is critical.

Use Thanksgiving to actually give thanks

Next week most Americans will likely gather with family and friends to celebrate the annual thanks-giving ritual critical to American culture and tradition: Thanksgiving. The importance of Thanksgiving is being devalued, though, because a certain commercial trend gaining prominence—the ever-famous Black Friday. It is important to retain some sacred values in our society, and Thanksgiving fills that role—it is above both religious and ethnic heritage and can be embraced by all. Thanksgiving’s value is priceless and needs to be cherished. As a society we need to pull back our obsession with Black Friday and rethink our relationship with Thanksgiving.

Mascot bill silences voices

A law that would make it more difficult for people to launch complaints against school districts with race-based mascots is currently awaiting approval in the Wisconsin state legislature. All the bill needs to become a law is Gov. Scott Walker’s approval.