Opinion

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The Year of Humanities: epic fail

Call us hippies, humanitarians, Dr. Seuss' loving Loraxes if you want, but it was par for the course to hear someone cry out, ""I speak for the Humani‘trees'!"" during this year's Editorial Board roundtables. That's because at the beginning of this academic year, Chancellor Biddy Martin declared this the Year of the Humanities. It was supposed to be a tribute to those still lost and wandering through the halls of the Humanities building and/or jobless with that English degree; i.e., an acknowledgement of the importance of those who prioritize critical thinking skills. One of the oldest and most neglected buildings on campus, Humanities houses a limited supply of TAs who are left to tend to inevitably non-profitable, non-math and non-science majors. These students are then left to preserve pride and appreciation for their field. Yet, Biddy's declaration finally promised vindication—theoretically, that is.

Implications of buying local extend beyond your shopping list

The Dardanelles is a 13-year-old Mediterranean restaurant located on the west side of campus on Monroe Street. You can't order a number three with fries, and the Mahi Mahi doesn't taste like a stuffed Chipotle burrito. It's the perfect symbol for the small-town, local atmosphere of restaurants and shops that fill the area.

New major far too ""liberal

 There might be a new twist in the future when answering the age-old ice breaker, ""What's your major?""

Biking Bad

As much as we love those men in uniform, Madison can't get enough of the jolly fellows patrolling the streets via pedals. Yes, Madison has a love for the diligent and forceful bike police who make it top priority to catch and ticket any criminals illegally zipping through Library Mall at record speeds. This safety squad is just one small portion of Madison's extreme efforts to create and uphold a more bike friendly city.

Space takes a backseat to planet earth

President Obama promised to stand up for what is right, not what is popular. So he can't be very surprised by the chilly reception some are giving his plan to cut a NASA moon-landing program.

Big changes needed for cleaner lakes

I don't know about you, but I can't believe summer is just around the corner. I feel like I'm still getting out of my winter slump (or maybe that's just my junioritis kicking in). And with the warm weather finally settling in for good, Lake Mendota is open for business. But how safe is the water actually? Do you really know what you're swimming in?

Squabbling Democrats nominate gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota

As Scott Walker, Mark Neumann, and Tom Barretteare vying to become the next governor of Wisconsin, an intense political drama is unfolding across the river in Minnesota to replace their governor, Tim Pawlenty. While many Badgers may not necessarily have an interest in the political climate in Minnesota, the events of last weekend's Democratic Farmer-Labor Party convention speak to a larger problem nationally within the Democratic Party. Since the election of Barack Obama, the Democratic Party has struggled to maintain unity as centrist Democrats quarrel with the far left as to who will maintain control of the party. Last weekend's Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party convention confirmed this point.

Williams, Johnson for ASM leadership

The Associated Students of Madison may not be the most exciting topic on campus. Bucky Badger's shapely body is probably more inspiring. But nonetheless, ASM is an integral part of our daily lives as students. The student government is charged with allocating $38 million in student segregated fees and giving students a voice in administration decisions through shared governance, and it is important that the right students are put in charge of that money.

Editorial Cartoon: April 28, 2010

Booze restrictions bad for business

Last week, the Alcohol License Review Committee approved a repeal of a three-year-old provision that has effectively been preventing new businesses from getting a liquor license in Madison's downtown area. Under the 365-day provision of the Alcohol Licensing Density Ordinance, any incoming establishment in Madison's central business district may not apply to the ALRC unless it is located at an address that has held a tavern license within the last 365 days.

Time to dwell on ""her-story

As Lathrop Hall, one of the most historically important structures on campus turns one-hundred years old, it seems a suitable time to reflect on the history, comical ironies and astounding change which has surrounded the record of women on campus.

Americans should be wary of radical rhetoric

Socialist, Nazi, Muslim, terrorist, extremist, baby killer, tyrant, dictator, un-American... and that's just the beginning of a long list of hate-filled words used in political and public conversation when talking about the ""opponent."" There is a reason kids are taught not to use ""bad words."" It is because language does matter and word choice is important. In an era where the F-word has virtually lost all meaning to such an extent that it has become a member of our conversational lexicon, we need to take a step back and realize that the words we use are powerful, charged with meaning, and as such we need to think carefully about how we use them.

Editorial Cartoon: April 27, 2010

Rep. Wood's actions demand discipline

For those of you keeping score in the battle for the state of Wisconsin's reputation, alcoholism increased its commanding lead over responsibility last week.

Keep yourself out of an occupational pickle, take pride in your work

Finally, I have found a way to incorporate one of my most passionate, enduring opinions into a legitimate opinion article.

Be thorough with sexual assault stats

Earlier this month, the watchdog group Security on Campus lobbied for Congress to amend sexual assault acts so universities would have to disclose the total number of sexual assault hearings that occur on campus. The legislation would narrow the Clery Act, which requires universities to report information on crime that occurs on and around campus.

Tea party opposition lacks ideas, creativity

Last Thursday millions of Americans showed up to Tea Party rallies across the nation to demonstrate their grievances against and frustration with the federal government. The locally organized Tea Parties were a tremendous success. The Wall Street Journal reported many locations saw a dramatic increase in turnout. Tea Parties, which began little over one year ago, are now a national movement to be reckoned with as many political pundits analyze their potential impact in the upcoming midterm elections. Even former governor Tommy Thompson used the event to announce he was not going to be running for Senate.

Seek to discourage sexual violence on campus through bystander intervention

Bystander intervention is a strong peer to peer tool that students can use to intervene when they see an unsafe situation. There are many ways you can step in to divert potential harm to one or both parties, and it is especially useful in preventing occurrences of sexual assault and dating violence on the UW-Madison campus. Stepping in can be a difficult thing to do, but there are several ways that you can make a strong stance against unsafe situations. Taking a stand against questionable behavior is one way that you can support others in making healthy decisions.

Instead of criticizing environmental opponents, seek to understand, educate

Environmentalists frequently lament the lack of environmental conscience in those whose lives they deem ""unsustainable""—""How can they be so selfish?"" we ask. This is the battle being fought today. A division of ""us"" vs. ""them"" occurs, and the ""others"" are frequently chastised as reckless and irresponsible. ""This is their fault!"" it often goes. I will argue, however, that a socially just and effective environmentalism—something the movement's founders envisioned—is incommensurable with this division.

Earth Day must change, become more inclusive to reach wider audience

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The daylong teach-in was founded by Wisconsin's former governor and senator, Gaylord Nelson, after whom our Institute for Environmental Studies was named.