I read your May 8 editorial “Vote Barrett” this morning urging students to vote for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. I was appalled at the blatant political partisanship shown by your staff and the derogatory tone with which you spoke of Gov. Scott Walker and his so-called “radicalism.” I would just… Read more »

Reginald Young’s April 16 editorial “Law says Adidas did not violate UW contract,” is filled with oversimplifications and factual inaccuracies. First, Adidas is unequivocally in violation of its contract with the university. The Licensing Agreement that Adidas agreed to includes Labor Codes of Conduct, which stipulate certain labor standards brands… Read more »

We often hear of abortion being branded as a religious issue, but it is actually secular in nature. Are rape and genocide religious issues because churches also happen to oppose them? Nope. Do atheists need belief in God to oppose murder? Of course not! One requires no religious argument to… Read more »

Dear Herald Editorial Board, I read your recent columns on Multicultural Student Coalition and racial climate: the March 28 editorial, “Disappointing move by MCSC” and the March 28 column, “Racism best ameliorated by constructive collaboration.” My takeaway is that, as a person of color living on campus, there are little to… Read more »

I was disappointed when reading Josh Brandau’s April 13 article, “City officials clash on East Wash. development” on plans for redevelopment of the 800 Block of East Washington Avenue. I found no reference, even in passing, to the dozens of men and women already living on the site. I think… Read more »

I find myself compelled to respond to a peculiar opinion piece in the April 12 issue of The Badger Herald, titled “Animal research needs vigilance.” That letter refers to the recent accreditation of University of Wisconsin animal care programs by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal… Read more »

In the March 20 guest column “Adidas proves need for collaboration,” Brad Barham and Heather Daniels’ joint faculty-staff response to students’ criticisms of Chancellor David Ward’s inaction in the Adidas contract proceedings ascribes to the Board of Regents “the ultimate authority to govern policy matters at the University of Wisconsin… Read more »

On March 19, The Badger Herald ran an article titled “Democrats wrong to stop voter ID law” by Vincent Borkowski — an article that fell far short of journalistic integrity, far short of academic thoroughness and should not have been published. Some slack can be granted for it being an opinion piece, but what… Read more »

I enjoyed reading Ryan Rainey’s commentary titled “Newspaper ethics not contest of popularity” when I picked up The Badger Herald’s March 27 “dead-tree” edition while in Madison.   However, about the only thing “transparent” in Green Bay Press-Gazette Publisher Kevin Corrado’s recent column concerning the Gannett “journalists” who signed petitions… Read more »

Zach Butzler recently published an opinion piece in which he argued against the Student Labor Action Coalition’s approach in our campaign against Adidas. However, Butzler’s claims are empty and unfounded. Butzler argues we should let the process of bargaining with brands “run its course” like we did with Nike, implying… Read more »

Wednesday’s response from the University of Wisconsin administration regarding alleged racial discrimination is another perfect example of the institution’s failed approach to diversity. Students are drilled with diversity propaganda from their first day on campus until the time they graduate, but ultimately these programs leave thousands of students each year… Read more »

We politely disagree with the March 14 opinion column by Sarah Blasky, Beth Huang and Taylor Marx in which they accuse Interim Chancellor David Ward of having disregarded shared governance. Their particular concern is a laudable one, namely the university’s current contractual dispute with the Adidas Group. The issue at… Read more »

This is in response to a recent Badger Herald opinion piece “Special interests have no place in Wisconsin politics.” I want to make it clear I absolutely agree certain special interests are too powerful and that they need to be limited. But the title is highly misleading, as everyone is… Read more »

In a recent opinion piece The Badger Herald printed Feb. 15, Reggie Young brought to light some rhetoric from Leland Pan, a candidate for the Dane County Board of Supervisors, District 5. The article revealed that Pan had expressed violent and aggressive sentiments in sweeping generalities toward conservatives. The quote is as… Read more »

In response to the Feb. 15 column, “Pan hot-headed and partisan, politically questionable,” I strongly urge students to vote for Leland Pan for 5th District County Board Supervisor on April 3. Pan is the ideal candidate to represent students. A member of the campus community who has committed himself to… Read more »

A common adage students hear from family members is how they “worked through college.” It’s the quintessential American Dream notion that yes, college costs money, but if you work hard enough you could make enough money to pay for your own tuition and not owe anyone else anything. Sadly, that… Read more »

In response to the Jan. 22 column “Dems’ SOPA support risky in 2012,” by Ryan Rainey: I do not believe it is the responsibility of Internet service providers to become the police of the Internet. Nor should they be charged with the responsibility to shut down access to pirate websites.… Read more »

Why does Memorial Union attract so much construction controversy? The answer is plain and simple: People really care about the place. The Wisconsin Union has always followed a strict “shared governance” policy in which students comprise the majority in most committees. It is impossible to name another construction project with… Read more »

While reading your Monday issue, I stumbled upon a picture of the Capitol’s Christmas Tree and read the caption about it, only to realize that you mistakenly or purposefully referred to it as a “holiday tree.” If it was by mistake then of course I understand, but given the recent… Read more »

Last year, The Badger Herald sparked controversy by printing the names of students reselling Rose Bowl tickets in an effort to shame them. This year, a short column decried the practice as downright un-Badgerly. Some students defend the reselling of Rose Bowl tickets as the operation of a free market,… Read more »

The recall of Gov. Scott Walker is underway, and student activism at the University of Wisconsin remains strong. Hundreds of volunteers have gone out to collect signatures, and 10,000 students have already come forward to sign the petition. There have been challenges along the way, but each challenge has been… Read more »

The problem with mottos and slogans is that after seeing one many times, it begins to lose its real meaning. As crucial as the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents’ 1894 “sifting and winnowing” statement has been to the development of the university, the three-word phrase probably seems trite to… Read more »

It’s a hot topic: how to help UW-Madison students graduate in four years. How long it takes to get a degree can have a major financial impact on students and their families.Undergraduates are eager to get started on their careers or to begin graduate or professional programs, and families are… Read more »

Dear Editor, Article I of the 26th Amendment to U.S. Constitution reads, “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.” Now, more… Read more »

In response to the 11/28 column “Wisconsinites not the only things not working,” whether or not you agree with the special session on jobs, please verify the information you put into your column.  This is the second time in two weeks The Badger Herald has confused the special session on… Read more »

Dear Editor: Scott Walker has been neglecting to take responsibility for any of his actions since the beginning, so neglecting to acknowledge that this recall is about him is no surprise to me. I recently saw a commercial in which Walker fights against this recall by saying that the best… Read more »

Dear Editor, It seems as though the City of Madison is always having construction projects thrown here and there. After reading Tuesday’s article, “State Street redevelopment draws harsh public response,” it made me satisfied that many people don’t agree with the construction project. The latest construction project that has been… Read more »

In response to the Nov. 14 Point Counterpoint, “Are the recall Walker protesters too smelly?” the more than 100,000 Wisconsinites who joined the anti-budget repair bill protests last winter came from all walks of life to speak out against Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on labor rights.   In his short tenure… Read more »

Badger Herald Editorial Board, Press reports about the action of Rep. Peggy Krusick, D-Milwaukee, failed to tell the full story about her amendment to “ban using race as a factor in determining who receives state-funded college grants.” What did not come out is this: A white student in 2006 filed… Read more »

Like many states, Wisconsin needs to make some tough decisions about its budget — there is no denying that. However, taking from those who can least afford it in the midst of the worst economic situation since the Great Depression is not the right way to balance a budget. And… Read more »

I am proud of my fellow Badgers every time I hear Eat Shit! - Fuck You! It takes me back to the good ol’ days of bad football and all we had to look forward to was a good show from the loyal fans that showed up. Even though I… Read more »

Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5) asserts, “Students in consultation with the chancellor and subject to the final confirmation of the board shall have the responsibility for the disposition of those student fees which constitute substantial support for campus student activities.” When the merger of the University of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin… Read more »

In response to the Oct. 23 article, “Vague wording in pension plan leads to squabbles,” Vincent Borkowski is entitled to his opinion, but it would be wise if he did a bit of reading before writing. First, the disclaimer: I never voted for Jim Doyle for governor. Borkowski whines about… Read more »

Wednesday’s edition of The Badger Herald printed the opinion piece, headlined “Acceptance of sexually violent language degrades us all,” with an important central message: Derogatory, sexually-explicit language should be avoided at all costs due to its disregard for human dignity and the violence it perpetuates. A couple pages later, in… Read more »

Like all students at the University of Wisconsin, I am many things. I am a junior here on campus. I work for ASM, College Library and Street Pulse Newspaper. I am a journalism and political science major. I am a daily reader of The Badger Herald and the Daily Cardinal.… Read more »

As students prepare to vote in the ASM election Oct. 17-19, we urge you not only to VOTE, but vote informed. We would like to share with you the facts necessary for an informed vote. A YES vote means that students want the Union’s student-led design process to continue, which… Read more »

In my first year as an 11th grade history teacher, I had a student named Aaliyah who sat quietly in the back of the room, rarely raising her hand, seemingly disinterested in class discussion. Every day I would attempt a new way to engage her with no luck. I was… Read more »

I’m writing in response to the article you ran on Thursday, Sept. 29 concerning changes to SOAR advising and the program’s overall schedule. In the piece, it was explained that the health and safety orientation of SOAR would be removed as to give students more time to register for classes.… Read more »

“The Multicultural Student Coalition is an alliance of students deeply committed to social justice and the principles of unity, integrity, responsibility and respect. … MCSC’s institutionalized working structure provides a healthy environment for students and the campus community to work together, learn about and from each other, and take an… Read more »

Respect for human dignity is essential in the authorization and conduct of scientific research, a point underscored by numerous and horrific past failures to establish or follow such protocols. As a UW-Madison graduate with substantial coursework in the biological sciences, I heard the declaration from more than one of my… Read more »

I read with great interest the Sept. 21 column by Alex Brousseau “Judicial appointments needed for true transparency.” I am one who fervently believes in the cleansing power of sunshine in government but readily acknowledges the author made some good points about why it might be problematic to have Supreme… Read more »

I attended the affirmative action debate this Tuesday, and I have never been more embarrassed to be a Badger. I expected to see a contentious debate, yet all I saw was a group of disrespectful, closed-minded students unwilling to even listen to those with a different viewpoint. I am a… Read more »

Dear Students, As Mayor and Police Chief we would like to welcome you back to Madison for the fall semester. We hope you had a great summer and that you’re looking forward to a productive and enjoyable school year. For those of you who are new to campus and the… Read more »

To the editors and students of the University of Wisconsin: At the end of February, we were summoned to a meeting at City Hall where the 2011 Mifflin Street Block Party was discussed. At the meeting, it became evident the city’s enthusiasm for the Mifflin Street Block Party was beginning… Read more »

After reading past articles in the Badger Herald about the Wisconsin Union, we felt the campus should know more about the Wisconsin Union’s referendum process, distribution of segregated fees and student leadership program. We refer to recent Herald articles, including the Op-ed published on April 4, as well as the… Read more »

Contrary to the Editorial Board endorsement of Dave Cieslewicz, we need Paul Soglin as Madison’s mayor more than ever. Working with Paul in the private sector before coming back to the University of Wisconsin for graduate and law school and subsequently studying under him, I know him and his deep… Read more »

In a column last week, writer Sam Clegg criticized District 8 alder candidate Kyle Szarzynski and his campaign for printing a recent piece of literature that compares the differences between Szarzynski and his opponent, Scott Resnick. Clegg first attacked Szarzynski for going “negative” on his opponent and then, without irony,… Read more »

Babies are just too damn hard. Have an abortion. Does that sound cold? Offensive? That is the message carried throughout the March 8 editorial statement. Too poor? Irresponsible? Well, if you can come up with $1,000 or more, depending on how far along your pregnancy is, one of Wisconsin’s abortion… Read more »

As faculty leaders in research and discovery at UW-Madison, we are writing to share our support for the additional flexibilities Chancellor Martin has been seeking through the New Badger Partnership. We are committed to helping the university maintain its standard of excellence in providing the best education possible to our… Read more »

To the Governor and Legislature: We, the undersigned faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Library and Information Studies, oppose the abolition of most collective bargaining rights by the budget repair bill now being pushed through the Wisconsin Legislature by Governor Scott Walker. We believe this will… Read more »

Dear Governor Walker, State Legislators and Citizens of Wisconsin, As scholars, teachers and citizens, we recognize that the right to form unions and bargain collectively has been essential to the establishment and enrichment of democracy in Wisconsin, in the United States and around the world. The International Labor Organization, which… Read more »

The Teaching Assistant Association (TAA) calls on Chancellor Biddy Martin to take a strong stance in opposition to Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. Her response to the bill to this point has been anything but. In this time of crisis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we at the TAA… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s announcement last Friday was perhaps the greatest push yet toward the feudalistic dystopia the new administration envisions for Wisconsin. In the midst of a paranoid mobilization of the National Guard and a dramatically vamped up security detail, Walker fired his latest salvo in a full-frontal assault on… Read more »

As we battle the cold weather and accumulating snow, spring semester is upon us. We are adjusting to new classes, new experiences and new opportunities. Through all of this, I can sense a buzz around campus regarding the New Badger Partnership and what it entails. I’d like to take a… Read more »

When students and workers protested the opening of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery last week, they did so after a semester-long campaign and as part of a carefully planned escalation strategy. The issue at hand is the privatization of food service at the WID. As such, the employees of these… Read more »

In the economic case of 5,000+ Rose Bowl student tickets, who is deserving of what? Boil everything down, and you are left with the Wisconsin Badgers football team as the producers and the students as the consumers. It is being argued that ridicule of ticket-flipping students is unwarranted because the… Read more »

“The Worst People On Campus.” What an exaggerated and inaccurate statement. You cannot say someone is not a “true Badger” because they upped the prices of their tickets. For all we know, that profit could be going toward their mother’s chemotherapy bills. Is it still unfair for those people to… Read more »

I am writing in response to Holly Hartung’s opinion article: “Bad body scanner press overblown.” Ms. Hartung starts out her article downplaying the risks associated with TSA body scanners by asking, “Who cares?” I will tell you exactly who cares. First, the ACLU has received more than 1,000 complaints about… Read more »

Dear Mr. Alvarez, I am writing to you as an alumni and also a University of Wisconsin employee. I’ve been living in Madison for the last six years and have been a Badger fan for much longer. I held student season football tickets all four years of college and purchased… Read more »

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I am proud to support the candidacies of Kyle Szarsynski and Sam Stevenson for seats on the Madison City Council. I am a member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors who has been elected six times, with the endorsement of Progressive Dane — and the Democratic Party. In a… Read more »

An e-mail was recently sent out to lots of multicultural student orgs, scholarship programs and stakeholders on campus and in our community that reads as follows: Hi Student Leaders:In an effort to improve the images we have of diversity on campus, we’re holding a photo session at three specific spots… Read more »

One week after this year’s big election, I have had some time to reflect on the months of work that I, and hundreds of other student volunteers, put into Democratic campaigns. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to interact with thousands of Madison area residents. The vast majority of these interactions… Read more »

The tragic suicides of young LGBT people across the country in recent weeks have finally brought to light on a national scale the prejudice and bigoted behavior of Americans young and old. Here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Shared Governance Committee of the Associated Students of Madison is working… Read more »

When thinking about possible career options after graduation, “teacher” never even crossed my mind until I applied for Teach for America in mid October of last year. After a whirlwind of interviews and training, I eventually found myself teaching 14 second graders in East Saint Paul, Minn. At first, it… Read more »

To All Interested Parties, The Student Services Finance Committee (SSFC) is the all-student body charged with overseeing the allocation of nearly $40 million in your segregated fees. Of this, approximately $2 million is made available to Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) in the form of Operations and Event and Travel Grants,… Read more »

The past few years the Wisconsin Student Public Interest Research Group has applied for Student Services Finance Committee funding, it has fought an uphill battle, and won. This time, instead of being scrutinized based on political viewpoint or time allocations towards direct services to students, WISPIRG was attacked by SSFC… Read more »

“Until minorities can create a culture of learning in their communities, families, and children, diversity programs can do little to help achieve the world of equal educational opportunity we all support.” This quotation was taken from University of Wisconsin economics professor W. Lee Hansen’s personal University of Wisconsin webpage (http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~whansen/).… Read more »

Every election is the most important election of our lives — even the midterms. It is fairly easy to see why some elections matter (we are choosing our next president, after all), and even those who don’t care much for politics can get caught up in the election fever every… Read more »

This column is an introduction to the “Hansen Diversity Plan”, in which I propose a new approach to enhance the effectiveness of campus diversity efforts. In the past, I have been critical of the University of Wisconsin’s diversity policies and programs. My abiding concern has been their failure to deal… Read more »

At Tuesday’s City Council Meeting students and young professionals gathered in support of a new ordinance that could have a large impact on apartment showing and leasing procedures in the campus area. This new ordinance would restrict apartment showing and leasing until after 45 percent of the current lease, or… Read more »

Six months ago today, Congress passed the federal health reform law, the Affordable Care Act — but with all the political wrangling, it was sometimes hard to tell what the law actually does. Today, we will begin to experience what is really in this bill, as the first set of… Read more »

In “A brief look at social empathy” (September 8), Kevin Bargnes discussed a socially conservative yet fiscally liberal political ideology. In his editorial, Mr. Bargnes made a few errors in statements regarding the conservative and libertarian movements. We, the UW–Madison chapter of Young Americans for Liberty, would like to clarify… Read more »

In 2010, the state of Wisconsin finally passed a comprehensive sex education law, the Healthy Youth Act. But the fight for comprehensive sex education is far from over. Luckily this week is Planned Parenthood’s National Week of Action on Sex Ed, and students need to know that some extreme politicians… Read more »

In the editorial “The Father, The Son and The Holy $pirit” (Sept. 10), The Badger Herald Editorial Board urges the University of Wisconsin to file an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court over the recent federal court decision in favor of Badger Catholic, allowing them to use segregated fees to… Read more »

CLARIFICATION: This letter to the editor from Dane County Supervisor Analiese Eicher and Madison Ald. Bryon Eagon should have noted that Eicher works for Diane Hesselbein’s campaign and Eagon works for Henry Sanders’ campaign. We sincerely regret this lack of transparency. Every few years, students at the University of Wisconsin have… Read more »

Jake Begun’s column “Poor turnout by tenants allows advanced showing by landlords,” (Sept. 7), which laments the lack of students at the most recent City of Madison Housing Committee powwow, and the ensuing defeat of a sensible legislative proposal that would have pushed the start rental season back several months… Read more »

At a time when our politics have become increasingly cynical, I would like to think that newspapers would not partake in the brawl, but the article that ran on Sept. 8 titled ‘Roundup for 77th District Democrats’ leads me to think otherwise. Although John Imes was mentioned as a candidate… Read more »

To say that I was upset by The Badger Herald’s “The Undergraduate Bucket List” (July 21) is a grave understatement. Recommending a list of activities that almost exclusively includes alcohol consumption is not only immature but also dangerous. Do you realize that a Fishbowl at Wando’s contains 21 shots of… Read more »

The Badger Herald column “RIAA setting sights on school funding” (July 21) misses the mark on the purpose of the new federal rules that require all colleges and universities to proactively address campus piracy. Not to mention much of the piece centers on hyperbolic stereotypes that inaccurately depict today’s music… Read more »

To the editor: I wouldn’t normally do this, because I’m all for students being able to express themselves, but there was a SO I read from May 7, 2010, that I felt was extremely inappropriate, sexist and should not have been posted: “ASO to all the slutty girls that bang… Read more »

To hear Republican South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint tell it, socialism lurks in America, spreading cavities through the mouth of American Freedom — I’ve learned from the Tea Party movement that Freedom is always a proper noun — with its illusory rights like health care or education. Chief among the… Read more »

Recently, The Badger Herald published an article, “Yahara station plug given to low turnout,” about the presentation on the proposed Yahara Station high-speed rail stop in Madison. The presentation was given by the designer of the proposed station and, according to The Badger Herald, was characterized by low turnout. The… Read more »

For those who haven’t heard, SSFC denied the Campus Women’s Center (CWC) eligibility to receive GSSF funding for next year, which means we will lose the $100,000 annual budget we have been receiving, as well as all “non-consumable” items that were purchased with segregated fees, including our computers with thousands… Read more »

On April 7, Sean Kittridge (“Sex crime registry ineffective, check the Church instead”) posted yet another opinion article mainly addressing the Catholic Church. The piece, saturated with satire, suggested that instead of reforming our current sex offender registry, we instead should “isolate sex offenders the only way the remnants of… Read more »

MPOWER candidates have been organizing around numerous student issues, and in recent weeks we’ve had several major victories for students in Madison. MPOWER is not a registered student organization, but as individuals we have contributed to each of these victories, and we wanted to make sure you had heard about… Read more »

Over the remaining two, students across campus will have the opportunity to vote on a Natatorium renovation that would change the way our recreational facilities serve our students. Although the need for a new Natatorium is recognized nearly universally on campus, the funding for the proposal has continuously come under… Read more »

In his editorial “New Nat would address student concerns,” Mike Bernatz summarizes the sorry state of UW’s recreational facilities. He is right: the Nat and the SERF need to be renovated. The current referendum, however, is the wrong approach to addressing our long-term rec sports needs. If the referendum passes,… Read more »

Celebrating sex offenders is obviously not what America is about; you would be hard pressed to find a person who thinks sex offenders are fine, upstanding members of their community. These are people that have clearly been convicted of a crime they deserve to be punished for. Whether or not… Read more »

For nearly a decade, students have said UW’s current recreational facilities simply do not meet their needs. The weight rooms are overcrowded and undersized. Treadmills and other cardio machines are always occupied. Group fitness classes and intramural leagues are full. A workout that should take 30 minutes takes two hours.… Read more »

Today, you may have the opportunity to vote for Analiese Eicher, a UW-Madison student running for Dane County Board. If you live in District 5, mostly a student district covering much of campus, you could elect your fellow student to represent your interests on the board. In the past, supervisors… Read more »

“Why do you keep stigmatizing our ‘targeted minority’ students? What you write and say makes them feel bad and interferes with their academic achievement.” That is what campus administrators often tell me after something I write appears in print (e.g., “UW and dead-end diversity, Badger Herald Nov. 13, 2009; “Diversity… Read more »

[Editor’s note: Erik Paulson is the Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Dane County, but is not writing this letter on behalf of the party.] On Tuesday, voters in District 5 should choose Analiese Eicher over Michael Johnson. Making an endorsement in an election where you consider both candidates… Read more »

I appreciated Sam Stevenson’s column endorsing the candidacy of Michael Johnson. Like him, The Capital Times and the Sierra Club, I am impressed with Michael Johnson’s smart and precise stands on the issues. I’m looking forward to working with him on the Dane County Board. My particular interest in county… Read more »

Students should vote “No” on the proposed Natatorium renovation April 12-14. A referendum on the spring ASM elections will ask students to raise segregated fees another 10 percent to pay back a $60 million bond issue to upgrade the Nat in 2014. That is $108 per year for 30 years.… Read more »

As I repeatedly cast my fly out on an apparently fishless river in the north woods of Wisconsin, I thought about what always brought me back to that spot. It certainly wasn’t the constant excitement of a trout on the line; I realized that whenever I get tired of our… Read more »

Editor’s note: Emma Spath is the UW-Madison campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America. Nationwide, and at UW-Madison, members of the class of 2010 applied to Teach For America in record numbers - more than 46,000 applicants for this fall’s class of 4,350 teacher corps members. As the campus campaign… Read more »

Dear Badger Herald Staff: This letter is in response to the photo that was published on the front page of the Badger Herald today in conjunction with the story title “Student groped on Langdon.” I personally feel that the photo of the student with enlarged hands makes light of and… Read more »

Every other Sunday, a group of UW-Madison students gather at the Red Gym to discuss issues of race. Sitting around a conference table, the discussion is informal, as the agenda is never rigid. The conversations stem from observations about racial inequality, events on campus addressing racism and students’ roles in… Read more »

After reading Steve Horn’s article “Safeguard Troops, End Deployment” published, March 19, I feel it is important to clear up some misconceptions many of your readers may have regarding the role of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Mr. Horn wrote “our state government is behaving illegally in deploying the National… Read more »

Editor’s note: Adam Johnson is the Chair of ASM’s Legislative Affairs committee. ASM’s Legislative Affairs Committee, in conjunction with the Union’s Society and Politics committee, WSUM student radio, the Daily Cardinal and The Badger Herald, are sponsoring a debate for your viewing pleasure March 22 at 7 p.m. in 1101… Read more »

Over the last few weeks, we’ve wrestled both ethically and emotionally with our decision not to remove Bradley Smith’s Holocaust denial advertisement on our website. The advertisement, as this paper has stated repeatedly, is an affront to history, an insult to this campus’ intelligence and a veiled attack on the… Read more »

There seems to be only one line of thought regarding how to treat Holocaust deniers. It’s the daily columns of condemnation and even “Holocaust awareness” demonstrations. Instead of engaging Holocaust deniers, ignore them. There are three reasons to ignore those who deny the actuality of the well-documented Holocaust. First is… Read more »

The Badger Herald article “Student Council Fails to Keep Quorum” (March 4) fails to realize the true nature of the “walkout” and misrepresents my reasons for leaving the meeting. The article states that I left the meeting for “personal reasons,” and while the statement is factually true it fails to… Read more »

As a former opinion editor for The Badger Herald, I have spent the past week processing the implications of Bradley Smith’s Holocaust-denial advertisement on The Badger Herald website. My first thought was to note that The Badger Herald has a long tradition of promoting free speech on campus. Over time,… Read more »

When I first spotted Sean Kittridge’s article (“Catholic Church might be due for an update,” Mar. 3), I was actually optimistic that it might be suggesting a positive direction for the Catholic Church to move. Alas, this was not the case. All things considered, I applaud the Conference of French… Read more »

Chancellor Martin’s op-ed addressing the controversy surrounding the Herald’s publication of the Holocaust denial ad (“Truth and Scholarship Greatest Tools in Combating Falsehood”) is a breath of fresh air for those committed to UW-Madison’s core belief in the “sifting and winnowing” of ideas and the freedom of speech that goes… Read more »

Jason Smathers’ Feb. 25 article titled, “UW community strong enough to face ad, reject it,” is an unfortunate step back for The Badger Herald. Clearly, Smathers wants to maintain the paper’s principles, and he believes the student community can reject the ad at first glance. The most troubling statement I… Read more »

My name is Nicole Tautges and I happen to be an avid NPR listener. So, when I was listening to my daily dose of Morning Edition, I heard an expos� as part of an ongoing series about college campus rape cases. One of the girls featured in the story was… Read more »

A momentous occasion has passed on this campus, mostly unbeknownst to the press and the everyday student. On Feb. 16, ASM leadership finalized the process for naming the new Union South building. Suggestions will be called for, and the students will hold much sway over the final decision. Of course,… Read more »

I read with great interest the editorial “Union funding: Campus cash cow?” (Feb. 18), and I appreciated your characterization of UHS’s work as providing “a critical service to campus.” However, I want to clarify that I didn’t guarantee UHS would never again have to request an increase above the seg.… Read more »

At Custer High School, a Milwaukee school that predominantly serves students of color, less than 15 percent of 10th graders are proficient in math. As a high school math teacher, my job is to not only motivate my students to learn the material, but also instill in them an understanding… Read more »

There are days when we are reminded of just how important it is to treat one another with respect and dignity. At our post from the UW Hillel, we are dismayed by the actions of members of the AEPi fraternity on campus. Let us hope that we are all moved… Read more »

The anti-Semitic comments posted recently on The Badger Herald website, in response to the article “AEPi awaits J-board rule,” point to two problems affecting our beleaguered campus community. First and foremost is the strong current of anti-Semitism that flows through Madison and is often enabled by the fine folks at… Read more »

“Hey New Orleans, you just won the Super Bowl; what are you going to do next?” “We are going to… go back to church!” Surprisingly enough, that type of reasoning is being heard throughout the country as a result of the Saints winning Super Bowl XLIV. The thing that angers… Read more »

This story is in regard to the October 2007 article “School of Business ranks 33 in social, environmental initiatives.” In 2007, our School of Business ranked in terms of social and environmental initiatives. At the time, the Wisconsin MBA ranked 33rd worldwide and 24th in the U.S., according to the… Read more »

As Dean of Students, I’m a regular consumer of newspapers, blogs and websites containing news and opinions about the state of our campus community. I’m most proud of our students, faculty and staff when we engage in a thoughtful and productive exchange of ideas on even the most controversial topics.… Read more »

Editor’s note: Jonah Zinn is the Academic Affairs Chair for the Associated Students of Madison Alex Brousseau’s Jan. 27 article “ASM’s textbook initiatives nulled by bill enactment” was extremely factually skewed, made unfounded conclusions that seriously disputed the credibility of an entire committee’s semester-long work and can hardly be considered… Read more »

This letter is in response to the Op-Ed piece by Holly Hartung (“Frivolous Lawsuits: The Only Way to Facilitate Change in America”) last Thursday. This article presents a poorly misguided argument that glorifies frivolous lawsuits in the American system without presenting a shred of evidence that they actually make a… Read more »

A recent article, “Elected officials seldom act in public interest”, published in the Badger Herald portrayed our president as a weak moderate and the College Democrats of Madison as a useless organization. As a whole, the College Democrats would like to refute the article’s absurd attacks on both President Obama… Read more »

The number one issue students at UW schools and across the nation have today is the inability to pay their own tuition. As the amount students pay for their education increases, the state of Wisconsin’s contributions to higher education continue to decrease. The systematic, historical and ongoing reasons for this… Read more »

My name is Greg Downey, and I’m the current director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m also one of the regular instructors of the 4-credit Comm-B course “J201: Introduction to Mass Communication” referenced in Kevin Bargnes’ opinion piece from… Read more »

I found Jim Allard’s opinion column titled “Climate Crisis Prone to Misinformation” to be itself full of misinformation. While I admire Allard’s renunciation of current environmentalist ideology — one based on exaggeration and ignorance — the article relied on omitting many facts to make its case. The article makes unsubstantiated… Read more »

At UW-Madison, there has been a lot of buzz about different plans to promote campus heterogeneity such as the older “Madison Plan” and other efforts of outreach to different minority groups. The most recent plan for multiculturalism on the UW-Madison campus in 2009 is “Seeding Inclusive Excellence,” which has… Read more »

Defined as “the tendency of whites not to think about whiteness or about norms, behaviors, experiences or perspectives that are white-specific,” the transparency phenomenon of white privilege has negatively impacted the conversations about race, minority and ethnicity issues on campus. This obliviousness to white privilege, and the ignorance towards… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin is, at first glance, a white school. From the race of our athletes to the majority of the student body to the milk we produce, Wisconsin is white. It is true that Wisconsin, as a state, has nearly 20 percent more Caucasian people than average.… Read more »

When I think of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a community of different races is not the topic that pops into my head; if anything, it’s quite the contrary. When I walk around this campus, almost everyone I see is white. It didn’t really hit me until one day when… Read more »

A fulfilling undergraduate experience should extend past academics to issues of importance that will remain with the lives of students for years to come. We may not remember all material from classes taken, but we will remember our relationships with others and how they helped shape who we are… Read more »

Our university strives to set high standards for the values and the recognition of people from all different backgrounds. As someone of mixed race, I have felt completely comfortable and have established a great connection with UW in the four years I have attended this institution. The atmosphere is… Read more »

We have been talking about the wrong topic. Our discussion is focused entirely on white people, black people, Hispanic people and Asian people and their relative percentages in the UW student population. In doing so, we commit two fatal errors. First, we assume these groups are monolithic wholes, with… Read more »

I am merely worried that if the university chooses to further pursue these issues on campus, it will do so at the expense of other students. Differences in terms of race, sexual orientation, creed, origin or socioeconomic status should not even be an issue; the campus is focusing on… Read more »

I was chewing with my mouth closed. It was the second day of my freshman year, and I was eating at Gordon Commons with someone I had just met from my dorm. “That’s weird,” he said. “What’s weird?” I responded. “I thought all Jews chewed with their mouths open.”… Read more »

Over the past five years, I had to endure, as an African-American student, some of the most ignorant comments and attitudes I ever thought possible on a “progressive” campus. With all the uproar about the over-simplified, tired, uninformed articles about minorities and their presence on campus, I thought it… Read more »

Alec Slocum’s “On the Morality of Deer Hunting” (Nov. 17) left out one huge and important fact about hunting: hunters eat the game they harvest. While there are many personal reasons for why people hunt, I will stick to just this one. Today, hunting is unnecessary in terms of nutritional… Read more »

As a former Teach For America teacher and current UW grad student in public policy, I felt compelled to respond to Hannah Shtein’s piece “Teach For America applications too close-minded” (Nov. 11). She appears to have drawn several inaccurate conclusions about Teach For America’s selection model based upon one… Read more »

The Herald’s Nov. 10 article on the Student Labor Action Coalition’s celebratory action at the chancellor’s of?ce (“SLAC’s love-hate affair with UW”) missed the point. It is true SLAC recently chastised the university for a recent change in policy that denies certain unionized workers the right to attend union… Read more »

The prevailing strategy behind UW-Madison’s more than 40-year effort to increase the presence of “targeted minority” students remains as confusing as ever. Campus officials regularly lament the low graduation rates of targeted minority students. In the same breath, they say “diversity” is about more than numbers. Yet, the chancellor… Read more »

In the Nov. 5 editorial, “Tell ICE to cool it,” the Herald Editorial Board took the stance that Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement were misguided in their arrest and deportation of 34 illegal immigrants, all of whom had already been charged… Read more »

In her Oct. 27 article “MG&E helping Madison ‘go green,’” Holly Hartung begins by saying that “Global warming discussions have moved away from debates about its existence.” I’m not exactly sure where she has been doing her research, but recent evidence shows more and more scientists are actually beginning to… Read more »

After numerous attempts to reach you by phone, which you have refused to respond [sic], I am writing a response to your recent articles and boycott of the Nitty Gritty Restaurant & Bar regarding the possibility of adding a UW-Madison student to the ALRC committee [sic] with voting privileges. Let… Read more »

Opinion writer Joe Labuz is right to bemoan the fact that the proportion of minority students on the UW-Madison campus is so small the minority presence in varsity athletics makes up a significant fraction of all minority students on campus (Oct. 20, “Athletes the key to diversity? Are you… Read more »

In response to Jonah Braun’s recent Opinion piece (“Where in the world is Rene Gonzalez?”, Oct. 14), I would like to shed some light on how my Greek organization, as well as myself, has interacted with Officer Rene Gonzalez. Since becoming the Langdon Street neighborhood officer, Gonzalez has shown nothing… Read more »

Calling a country “criminal” is dangerous, especially when the arguments for doing so are misleading and faulty, like in Sam Stevenson’s recent column (“UW must divest from Caterpillar,” Oct. 14). Unfortunately, many, including Mr. Stevenson, have fallen into this trap — urging the UW System Board of Regents to pull… Read more »

The Badger Herald grossly missed the mark with their recent news article, “No more unlimited rides for SAFEwalkers” (Oct. 9, 2009). The Associated Students of Madison did not just recently cut funds for SAFEwalkers to use SAFEcabs, as the article states. There was never supposed to be money for these… Read more »

Given the recent economic downturn, the intersection of personal and political has become ever more obvious. So I react with both wonk-like excitement and anxious frustration to The Badger Herald’s recent coverage of the enrollment cap on the BadgerCare Plus Core Plan. I am pleased to see the Herald tackle… Read more »

I fully disagree with the argument made in this article which depicts Obama as unworthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. This article tries to infer the Nobel Peace Prize is meant only for individuals who have been successful in their attempts at bringing about peace. The article states “The fact… Read more »

I wanted to clarify some of the information presented about security and actions of University Housing staff in response to the death of an elderly Madison community member in the lobby of Witte Hall (“Eighty-one-year-old male dies in Southeast dormitory,” Oct. 2). University Housing takes the security of residents extremely… Read more »

On Monday, Sept. 21, the Human Life Alliance, a pro-life organization, asked The Pointer to include a 12-page, pro-life informational insert in its publication. The editorial and managerial staff of The Pointer decided not to include this insert. This decision was made in accordance with The Pointer’s policy of not… Read more »

I am writing to respond to the recent editorial, “ASM, it’s not your place” (Sep. 23, 2009). If those of you on The Badger Herald Editorial Board wish to object to the legitimacy of where ASM distributes its funds, that’s fine. But please do not use the “logistics” of the… Read more »

In Thursday’s opinion piece by Jack Craver (“GOP’s leadership fit the standards,” Sep. 24, 2009), Craver highlighted what he called the “right-wing lunacy” of Republicans on the national, local and university levels. If one were to simply take his examples (including, of course, Joe McCarthy) at face value, one would… Read more »

Jim Allard’s Sept. 25 editorial, “‘In Defense of Food’ Merely Pseudo-Intellectual Discourse,” is all wet in accusing Michael Pollan of practicing pseudo-science. Michael Pollan makes no claim to be a scientist. In order to be pseudo-science, his claims would have to be masquerading as science; instead, Pollan acknowledges when… Read more »

I don’t believe the article titled “MPD increase bicycle tickets” by Whitney Trotta (Sept. 1) represents the prevailing opinion held by the majority of cyclists at large in Madison — it doesn’t include the opinion held by UW Cycling members, anyway. Trotta, interviewed a few fixed-gear kids and delivery… Read more »

Thank you to Joey Labuz for highlighting plans for the renovation of Peace Park in his Sept. 1 opinion titled, “Peace Park plan a Band-Aid solution.” However, contrary to Labuz’s assertion that “we don’t exactly have an influx of foreigners badgering Badgers for directions,” downtown Madison is very much… Read more »

We read Eric Schmidt’s recent opinion article regarding the mental health services at University Health Services with great interest. The staff at UHS is interested in providing effective, evidenced-based treatment in a timely fashion and welcome feedback that will assist in providing the highest quality of care possible. Genuine… Read more »

Sam Clegg’s recent article (“SSFC right on; ASM muddles on as year end,” April 28) was unprofessional, offensive and inaccurate. How does an article about SSFC and ASM divert into an attack on CFACT? Do you have an agenda? CFACT publishes campus pricing information to save students’ money, picks… Read more »

I am infatuated with MTV’s “College Life.” When my friends and I gathered in the living room for last Monday night’s episode, I wondered what was so alluring about this show. I think there is a trace (OK, fine, a lot) of schadenfreude in our excitement, and it is… Read more »

I would like to respond to the Opinion piece by Dan Walters on April 23 (“Cynicism justified on conduct code”) regarding the proposed changes to student conduct policies for the UW System. Mr. Walters is wrong when he argues students have the right to full representation by an attorney… Read more »

This open letter to Chancellor Biddy Martin is excerpted from an acceptance speech given in response to an academic staff award. Chancellor Martin, I’ve read with great interest your Undergraduate Initiative. Enhanced student services are mentioned several times. I think that is code for better academic advising. As someone… Read more »

As a graduating senior, I have not paid as much attention to the Initiative for Undergraduates as I perhaps should have. However, Chancellor Martin’s last e-mail compelled me to look more closely at the plan that is being proposed, and I was somewhat surprised by the similarity to the… Read more »

Recently, Chancellor Carolyn “Biddy” Martin proposed a tuition increase called the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates. While some of the goals of this initiative seem worthy and noble, many students have found problems with parts of this plan and have voiced valid oppositions and concerns through the Madison Initiative for Undergraduate… Read more »

Have you seen your adviser lately? Who are these people anyway? Each student on campus has an assigned adviser, typically depending on whom you saw at SOAR. Unfortunately, many students fail to fully appreciate and use this important resource. The value of advising cannot be underestimated. The truth is, there… Read more »

The Badger Herald has recently printed a number of articles in the Opinion and News sections attacking the For Accessibility, Community and Empowerment of Students (FACES) slate. In the interest of accuracy and even-handedness, it is important that students also receive the perspective of an actual member of the… Read more »

Chancellor Biddy Martin recently released the details of a plan to enhance the quality of the undergraduate educational experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while preserving affordability for families with demonstrated financial need. The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates will be funded through an increase in tuition, a premium that… Read more »

Dear Fellow Badgers, You and I have been privileged to attend one of the top 25 teaching and research universities in the world. We are the beneficiaries of the people of the state of Wisconsin and of the ongoing support of our federal government. The people of Wisconsin recognize… Read more »

Sam Clegg’s editorial from April 9 (“Misconduct policy still bad for students”) touches on some important points regarding the ambiguity of the proposed changes to UWS 17. My problem is that Mr. Clegg’s opinion, although it attempts to address some of the ambiguity, is entirely reliant on conversations with… Read more »

I am writing about Dan Rose’s column, “Bishop Morlino danger to rational Catholicism” (April 3). I marvel at the fact this freshman is majoring in journalism; it appears he has not learned much from his classes thus far. The column is a series of unsubstantiated accusations, including calling Bishop… Read more »

The state of Wisconsin has built a tremendous resource in the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Even when the economy slows — as it has in the past — our education and research continue moving us forward. We’ve pushed the boundaries of discovery and given the state a value worth more… Read more »

In response to Mr. Sarlati’s letter to the editor (“Shiva best for District 5”), I would like to address how Hamilton Arendsen would better serve District 5 and would be a far better alderman for the student body. I agree that Shiva Bidar-Sielaff is a valuable asset to the… Read more »

On this Tuesday, April 7, you have the opportunity to decide the future of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Spring elections are fast approaching, and Students for a Fair Wisconsin has been working diligently to ensure the University of Wisconsin campus will come out to vote April 7. The State… Read more »

One wonders how high the salaries were of the public relations professionals and university administrators who worked overtime to pick the name “Madison Initiative for Undergraduates,” and to produce the slick promotional film pitching the program. The proposed tuition surcharge would be better named “Biddy Sticks it to Out-of-Staters”… Read more »

Recently, your newspaper ran an article regarding my participation on March 5, 2009 in the White House Forum on Health Reform. I am a medical student at the University of Wisconsin and a resident of Madison’s 5th District. Local elections are fast approaching, and I wanted to be sure… Read more »

I am writing regarding the column by Emily Osborne (“GAB actions threaten to disenfranchise many voters,” March 6) concerning the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board and its statutory responsibility to complete the four-year voter record maintenance. As background, �6.50 of Wisconsin Statutes requires voter records be reviewed after every general… Read more »

Recently, there was an article published in The Badger Herald (“Amtrak proposal unrealistic,” March 2, 2009) that suggested using money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (or as it’s more commonly known the stimulus package) on public transit would be bad for the state. The author of the… Read more »

PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment) was saddened by the front-page article, “Alleged Rape at Sigma Chi,” published Wednesday, March 4 in The Badger Herald. While the report of the assault itself was extremely disturbing, some of the comments posted by UW students on The Badger Herald website in response… Read more »

We read Ms. Pogoff’s letter [“UHS Is a UH-Mess,” March 4, 2009] with great interest. At University Health Services, we take the concerns of our patients and clients very seriously, and we consider student feedback a vital element in our ongoing quality-improvement process. We encourage students who have complaints… Read more »

A few weeks ago, a friend related a troubling story to me. She had gone to University Health Services for her third dose of the HPV vaccination (which is designed to be given in three shots over six months) and was informed that at her previous visit, she had… Read more »

Over 3.5 million Americans have lost jobs since December 2007. Clearly, the worst recession in years has resulted in economic hardship that extends beyond America’s ever-suffering homeless community. As these economic woes affect increasingly more people, shelter and food pantry donations are diminishing. Yet there are roughly 3,500 homeless people… Read more »

Unsurprisingly, The Badger Herald Editorial Board wrote a detailed defense of the new Associated Students of Madison Constitution in last week’s paper, as well an an attack on those who oppose it. This is perhaps the clearest indication that the new document is not worth supporting. In the piece, the… Read more »

I have been a student here for six years now, four as an undergrad and two as a medical student, and have clearly seen something: Associated Students of Madison Student Government doesn’t work the way students need it to. However, from the inside this year, I see that it’s not… Read more »

Jim Allard’s piece “Humanities lack guiding principle” (Feb. 18), should have been entitled “Allard lacks basic understanding of humanities.” Mr. Allard has much to say about the humanities, yet none of it insightful or accurate. He seems to view the humanities as a monolithic “citadel of Kantian philosophy” in… Read more »

Jan Van Tol and Eric Hoyt’s opinion article incorrectly characterizes the conclusions of the Fair Labor Association’s summary report on Russell’s decision to close its Jerzees de Honduras factory. Based on the totality of evidence gathered by three different independent investigators, the Fair Labor Association concluded the closure decision was… Read more »

Student Services Financial Committee’s Kurt Gosselin had officially announced his resignation as chair of the committee as of 2:11 a.m. Thursday morning. Most people who received the e-mail most likely suffered the same initial shock that hit me — all the leadership and guidance that had once pervaded his position… Read more »

Thanks for your coverage of the WUD Society and Politics panel on the global food and hunger crisis (“Panel addresses U.S., global hunger,” Feb. 12). As one of the panelists, I would like to clarify a comment attributed to me regarding use of “food as a weapon.” In the case… Read more »

Associated Students of Madison has not always been the lackluster organization we know today. A mere nine years ago, ASM was a dynamic organization that effectively championed student interests. With ASM by their sides, students barricaded themselves in the chancellor’s office for four consecutive days. Their efforts forced the… Read more »

To the Editor, The University of Wisconsin community, including both students and faculty, should be aware the UW Hospital and Clinics made a very important and shocking decision yesterday. The Hospital and Clinics Board is separate from the UW but carries its name, all of its Board is connected… Read more »

As the victim described in Heather Burian’s article, “Woman reports robbery early Friday,” I am disturbed by the condescending tone in which my story was told. I agree that I should have called a cab or SAFEwalk, and I have been the first to concede that I made a poor… Read more »

My intention was not to cast blame on the young girl. I’m very sorry the incident happened. My whole point was to try and convey that even though you are in college and may sometimes think you are “immortal,” you still must be responsible for your own safety. Unfortunately, you… Read more »

As University of Wisconsin alums, we feel compelled to share our concern about the proposed UW Health-Meriter venture to open a second trimester abortion center near the UW campus. The Badger Herald’s well-balanced January 20 (“UW Clinic’s new abortion policy fuels debate”) article outlined the arguments for and against such… Read more »

Far too many of us have been there — the kitchen faucet leaks, the bathtub won’t drain, and the frigid winter wind howls through that gap where the window ends and the windowsill begins. You call the landlord and they say they’ll be right over the very next day… Read more »

The problem of rising textbook costs is applicable to all students, across all disciplines. And while the increased activity of grassroots efforts, such as the Associated Students of Madison book swap, and the increased visibility of online resources, such as Half.com or Chegg.com, have helped abate the issue in the… Read more »

I attended the ASM Student Council meeting (on Dec. 10) and spoke in the open forum, representing Hoofers and my personal views. I spoke in favor of the Wisconsin Union Initiative Building Project, in addition to its design process thus far. In the Dec. 11 Badger Herald article entitled… Read more »

For the past two years Ald. Eli Judge has represented the 8th district of Madison’s City Council. He has shown what a student with passion for open and effective government can do for the University of Wisconsin campus and Madison community. I thank him for his service and will… Read more »

As a University of Wisconsin-Madison student I have come to know, love and appreciate our environment. As a senior, I have grown to respect and love our ecological habitat that surrounds Madison. From Picnic Point out to the arboretum on the south shore of Lake Wingra, we are extremely lucky… Read more »

Thursday’s article about ASM’s decision to require 15 percent minimum turnout for any capital building project funding measure was a slap in the face for those of us who have been here long enough to remember the history of the Student Union Initiative. The referendum, in one of its various… Read more »

Imagine for a moment you’ve just done your business in Van Hise. You step out of the stall, turn on the water, soap up, scrub your hands clean, turn the water off, turn around and use the high-powered Xelerator hand drier. Congratulations: You’ve accomplished nothing. You touched the faucet handle… Read more »

By noon on Nov. 4, you could have asked anyone on the street if they had voted and around 75 percent would have answered yes. Nearly every person proudly wore an “I voted” sticker and demonstrated their enthusiasm for the night to come. When Barack Obama finally was announced as… Read more »

Dear Students, As the Dean of Students and as the student-run Vote 2008 Coalition, we would like to encourage everyone to go out and vote this Election Day, Nov. 4. Here are a couple of quick points about voting: As you are aware, voting is an important right and a… Read more »

While I was reading Oct. 28 op-ed “Joining Military Patently Wrong” by Sam Clegg, my blood started to heat up. I take offense to Clegg’s opinion, but I hope he realizes that the people who fought and died for freedom in this country were not afraid to do so. I… Read more »

On Nov. 4, if you are an 18-year-old citizen, you will be able to vote. But imagine Election Day 100 years ago. If you are a woman, you do not have the right to vote, and if you are black, there exists so many political barriers that it is impossible… Read more »

I write to respond to the The Badger Herald’s coverage of the so-called “Blazing Saddles” incident a couple of weeks ago at the University of Wisconsin. As is well known by now, a student (or students) complained to the Equity and Diversity office because he was offended by the movie’s… Read more »

On Monday, The Badger Herald Editorial Board called for changes to the timeline set forth by the Associated Students of Madison Constitutional Committee regarding its constitutional revision process. “In an ideal world,” the editorial states, “we’d like to see this come to a vote at the end of November.” After… Read more »

This letter is in response to Jason Smathers’ recent opinion piece “Progressive Dane must tone down fighting words.” (BH 10/16) As a member of Progressive Dane, I’d like to address his inaccurate characterization of both the issues we work on and the group itself. First of all, Smathers attacks PD… Read more »

There are few times in life when one reads an opinion piece as chilling and myopic as Jim Allard’s latest rant (“Pragmatism not worthy of my vote,” Oct. 15). If Allard had bothered to read John Dewey, William James, Richard Rorty, Cornel West or any other major pragmatist thinker,… Read more »

With talk of reform and change being prominently featured in the presidential race, a chance for major reform begins today for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This week, students are voting in the last election before next semester’s Associated Students of Madison constitutional special election. “So what?” you may be asking… Read more »

The Badger Herald reported yesterday (“UW apologizes for showing film with racial slurs,” Oct. 15) that a black student objected to clips from “Blazing Saddles” shown at a recent “training seminar.” Students reading this story would ideally glean a specific understanding of the circumstances to determine whether or not an… Read more »

As happy as it made me to see not one, but two articles about fair trade in the Sept.10 issue of The Badger Herald, something left a bitter, burned-coffee taste in my mouth. As a member of the WISPIRG Fair Trade Project this semester, I have learned more and more… Read more »

Dear Editor, In response to your opinion piece “PETA’s complaints to ice cream company an embarrassment” (10/7/08), it was disappointing to read Mr. Johnson’s reaction to our tongue-in-cheek letter to Ben and Jerry’s, asking them to substitute breast milk for cow’s milk. We agree that using human breast milk to… Read more »

When Congress passed an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code in 1954 banning political campaigning by tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations, one could have hardly fathomed that it would come to this.Last Sunday, ministers in 21 states, acting in a coordinated effort with the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, proclaimed from their pulpits… Read more »

As I sat enjoying the first half of the Badger game, pondering what the atmosphere would be like against Ohio State at home, under the lights, I could not help but shudder and get goosebumps. Then, as the rug was quickly pulled out from under me and my heart sank… Read more »

In its new constitution, the Associated Students of Madison proposes to throw out the current system of representation and replace it with the “Galactic Empire” of student government. The entire document feels as if it were written by a political science major with a pocket constitution and severe delusions of… Read more »

On March 13, 2008, Wisconsin Act 102 was signed into effect by Gov. Jim Doyle. The act, better known as the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, requires all emergency rooms in the state of Wisconsin to provide accurate information and access to emergency contraception for female rape victims. Like… Read more »

I caught McCain fever in the fall of 2007. A conservative-turned-moderate by liberal Madison, I witnessed a conversation one evening between two Democrat friends, who concluded that John McCain was the only Republican president they could ever stomach. Now, the fact that a liberal liked him would be far from… Read more »

In a recent article, “Flawed morality ruins health care,” Jim Allard asserts that socialized medicine is an immoral system, a system against the basic freedom of choice that independent people deserve. For many people, he is right. Socialized medicine would reduce my ability to get whatever medical treatment I want… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is no stranger to political rallies, war protests and other forms of public assembly. Rarely, however, is the campus used as a stage for unity — bringing together the university and community; conservatives and liberals; the religious and non-religious; athletes, artists and academics. Why is this… Read more »

Ryan Greenfield’s column in the Herald regarding the Dane County Public Safety Communications (911) Center (“Broken center in need of overhaul,” Sept. 9) contained numerous factual inaccuracies. For fear of compromising the investigation and their ability to rule out potential suspects, detectives and command staff with the Madison Police Department… Read more »

I am thoroughly stunned at the complete lack of mention about the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout in the Herald these past two days. The consequences of the bailout are enormous for people in the business world as well as for regular taxpayers and people who are struggling with… Read more »

To the Graduating Class of 2009:It is with utmost sincerity that I publicly apologize for my lapse in judgment that resulted in the highly publicized event last semester. My inconsiderate actions have been a disservice to university administrators, the Van Galder Bus Company and our venerable judicial system. Most of… Read more »

Although the College Democrats wish to be as civil as possible with the campus newspapers and other organizations, the op-ed piece in The Badger Herald, “Cynical Dems screw campus,” severely mischaracterizes the College Democrats’ intentions and goals as an organization. When the College Democrats declined to participate in a formal… Read more »

I am appalled that you would ever print those letters (“Instill some Badger terror,” “Get to the games on time”) about fan dedication in Monday’s paper. I am even more appalled that you did not report on the horrendous handling of the student section by the athletic department. At two… Read more »

I was surprised to see that you chose to publish Keith Glaser’s letter (“Get to the games on time”) in Monday’s Badger Herald.  While I absolutely agree with the premise that students should arrive on time for games, I was incredibly surprised that the Herald apparently did no research at… Read more »

On Monday, both letters to the editor were from alumni who watched Saturday’s football game against Marshall. They criticized the student section and told students to get to the football game on time. As a student with season tickets, I will tell everyone that we did. For those not familiar… Read more »

Dear student section: Please show up on time for Big Ten games. I promise you, the beer will be there after the game. Seeing a one-fourth full student section at the beginning of the game is troubling, especially when the defense is trying to make a goal-line stand against Marshall and… Read more »

I attended every home football game from 1995-2000. Students at that time made Camp Randall a raucous atmosphere for opposing teams and one of the most ominous venues for opponents. We showed up at kickoff and made it tough on the other team. I am wondering what the heck is… Read more »

The Badger Herald was wrong to publish the guest column written by Rep. Steve Nass (“University governance must permit conservative values”) in its Sept. 1 registration issue. Printing this article was a mistake that the editors of this paper need not make. Nass’ article not only fails to conform to… Read more »

I was very offended by the drinking references in one of the articles in this summer’s Badger Herald.  The article in question was entitled “Take My Advice: Have It Your Way” by Jason Smathers (printed on page 11A). One of the main reasons I was never really excited to go… Read more »

Dear Badger Herald:I read Tim Williams’ article today (“Bull won’t stop fraternity foibles”) and do appreciate many of the points he made regarding fraternity life. This is certainly a time for self reflection for many fraternities and fraternity members and I hope that they all learn from this. I truly… Read more »

The Associated Students of Madison cannot reform. At least it cannot reform without a new conceptualization of its role on campus. Fifteen years ago, when students created ASM out of the ashes of the Wisconsin Student Association, they premised the structure of their new student government on WISPIRG. This… Read more »

As a freshman representative, I came into the Associated Students of Madison’s Student Council with the bliss of idealism and the desire to change the campus. However, after a few short meetings, I was convinced that Student Council wasn’t what I expected. This Student Council wasn’t about activism or being… Read more »

I must say I am very upset with the obviously embellished article recently printed (“Broken windows, appliances lead to ‘worst’ honors” April 30). As a tenant also residing in the building in question, I must say that most of what Karley Gifford has said appears, to me, to be hyperbole… Read more »

I am a student currently working on a final project in the Memorial Library. I am writing this in the middle of a school day, yet for some reason I am overhearing the booming bass from some party on Library Mall. Why is there a very loud party taking place… Read more »

In his opinion column last week, Andy Granias (“Which right is right on drugs?,” April 25) is correct in one sense when he says the concept of a right is inherently constructed, but his examples (intramarital rape, slavery) are faulty. We have rejected such activities as “rights” by extending rights… Read more »

Regarding Kyle Szarzynski’s thoughtful opinion column (“‘War on drugs’ cloaks oppression,” April 23), there is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket legalization. Switzerland’s heroin maintenance program has effectively reduced disease, death and crime among chronic users. Addicts would not be sharing needles if not for zero tolerance laws… Read more »

Conceal and carry is a dangerous and idiotic policy that has no business in any state, let alone this one. Joe Trovato’s column (“For safety’s sake, state needs new gun law,” April 23) advocated that this vigilante strategy be implemented in Wisconsin — or as he would have it,… Read more »

Robert Phansalkar’s recent opinion column (“Breathalizers at prom uncalled for,” April 22) criticized Whitnall High School’s decision to implement random Breathalyzer checks at their senior prom in order to curb teenage drinking at the dance. According to Mr. Phansalkar, this is not only a misguided policy being instituted as a… Read more »

I would like to deal with Mr. Kittridge’s claim (“Claims won’t keep Adidas off my feet,” April 10) that “as much as we would like to moralize the situation, there is no feasible reason to abandon a company like Adidas for labor violations.” At the root of Mr. Kittridge’s… Read more »

We in the International Socialist Organization felt it necessary to respond to Jason Smathers’ piece (“Deport student, but change law,” April 9) calling for the deportation of our classmate Tope Awe and attacking our organization’s support of the Awe family. If it is indeed true that “the law” demands… Read more »

In Hannah Karns’ article (“Time to shape up, ASM representatives,” April 9) she forgot one crucial point. The acronym ASM is wrong. It should read “RPA,” for Resume Padders Association. The Associated Students of Madison is flawed on so many levels, however Hannah Karns — or, should I say, paid… Read more »

Ryan Greenfield’s statement that our sovereignty and the rule of law are “strained cliches” is insulting and displays how little thought he has put into the immigration issue (“Awe an example of broken policy,” April 7). � Beginning with the American Revolution, more than 1.3 million Americans have died… Read more »

The new ticket policy for University of Wisconsin football games is absolutely unacceptable. As a first-year student who was not awarded tickets in the 2007 football season lottery, I was looking forward to a new ticket policy more than most, especially after I ended up paying more than $400… Read more »

Like most conservatives at Madison, one of my main gripes with this campus is that its liberalism only applies to Liberals. Nothing could have demonstrated this better than the events on Friday night when the College Republicans brought Michelle Malkin to campus to speak on immigration. In true democratic UW… Read more »

As I read though Wednesday’s article (“April ‘fuel’ prank leaves tires flat,” April 3), I became increasingly angry with the intolerable acts committed against regular people. Not only are these acts highly annoying and costly to reconcile, but they can be very damaging when mistakenly connected to the legitimate environmental… Read more »

I completely agree with Ammar Al Marzouqi’s criticism (“Registration program slow, inadequate,” April 2) of the ISIS-based registration for classes. They have taken a step back on the automated registration process. I logged in to My UW a couple of days ago to find that no timetables for the… Read more »

Thank you for the opinion piece (“4,000 dead but Bush apathetic” by the International Socialist Organization, March 28) in Friday’s Badger Herald. It raised some important issues that deserve to be examined. I would like to dig a little deeper. The essay made several assertions, for which I request… Read more »

I am not one to write letters to a newspaper; however, Friday’s basketball calamity versus Davidson calls for an exception. We, as a state, need to call for Bo Ryan’s immediate dismissal. His continued ineptitude to advance Wisconsin, a team with more than sufficient skill, to the Final Four… Read more »

As a female graduate student of color who studies public management and public policy, I thought it might be helpful for the campus to have a new perspective on the race for Dane County District 5 supervisor. I attended the debate Wednesday between Wyndham Manning and Conor O’Hagan hosted by… Read more »

Nuclear energy’s role in Wisconsin is the subject of heated debate. With respect to safety and disposal, many opponents use arguments high on rhetoric but lacking in facts, such as in Monday�s letter to the editor (�No new nukes: Use solar, wind power,� March 24).For instance, nuclear plants are not… Read more »

Recently, columnist Sam Clegg wrote about nuclear power plants and the good that they could do for Wisconsin�s economy (�Nuclear plant ban ridiculous� March 14). While a well-stated argument, there are some factors Mr. Clegg neglected to mention in his article. There is a reason the ban is in place… Read more »

In his most recent column (�Dawkins Reveals Beauty of Science,� March 11) Corey Sheahan revealed a towering ignorance of religious ideas and propositions. First, there’s his idea that �understanding the wonder and majesty of the universe� is somehow at odds with religious belief. Nothing could be further from the truth.… Read more »

Corey Sheahan�s column (�Dawkins Reveals the Beauty of Science,� March 11) elucidates some of the finer points between science and faith and the misunderstandings that occur between them. I applaud Mr. Sheahan’s astute synopsis of Richard Dawkins� work. I further praise his equally fair-minded treatment of faith, relative to the… Read more »

On behalf of the UW-Madison College Republicans, I am writing in response to last week�s op-ed by the College Democrats of Madison�s Claire Rydell (�Dems get out vote, show true dedication�). While I don�t doubt Ms. Rydell�s sincerity in believing that it was her organization that was responsible for the… Read more »

Jason Smathers� recent criticism of SAFEride funding (�Dems political muscle atrophies,� March 4) was misinformed, failing to recognize the role of the Dane County Board of Supervisors and its responsibilities. It is quite obvious that Mr. Smathers has successfully disenfranchised himself from the majority of the student body during his… Read more »

When the Union Leadership Team announced they would be closing down the Travel Center in the Memorial Union after being open for more than 30 years, they promised that there would be student involvement in the re-direction process of the Travel Center services. The Union held two public input sessions… Read more »

We believe the article in yesterday�s The Badger Herald (�Union employees blast �incompetent� managers,� Feb. 28), about a small number of student employees being upset with the Wisconsin Union management, misses some extremely important points. The primary issue from the Union�s perspective is that our constituents � UW students as… Read more »

I am writing in response to a Badger Herald article (�UWM newspaper subject to new speech codes,� Feb. 15) about the ill-advised legislation passed by the UW-Milwaukee Student Association Senate � UW-Milwaukee�s student government. Essentially, the legislation, titled the SA Sedition Act, was written in response to factually incorrect and… Read more »

On behalf of theClassConnection, I would like to thank The Badger Herald for publishing a recent opinion piece by Ruth Windberg (�Website will fall victim to laziness,� Feb. 15). The article raised some interesting questions, and we wanted to take a few words to explain our organization�s stance on these… Read more »

There is no question that this presidential election is one of the most important in recent history. After seven years of failed Bush policies, it is clear we need a president who can redirect this country and put our government back on the right track. For Democrats in this primary… Read more »

In response to the anonymous poster (� Readers lonely, bitter after V-day� Feb. 15, 2008), to say that service members are “all a bunch of trigger-happy white males that only like to murder innocent women and children” is grossly inaccurate and ridiculous. The most recent statistics I found were from… Read more »

I am writing to express my astonishment after reading a comic in The Badger Herald (�BD Presents,� Feb. 13) that blatantly perpetuated anti-Semitic stereotypes. While I recognize everyone’s freedom of the press, I think it is inappropriate and hurtful to publish a comic with such deep-rooted and offensive stereotypes. As… Read more »

College Republicans have expressed their concern with a question I asked Sara Mikolajczak in the debate Monday evening in the Memorial Union. They thought the question (referring to her personal vote on the Wisconsin Marriage Protection Amendment) and my handling of it were unfair and unbalanced. Let me reply. First,… Read more »

As I watched the debate Monday night between College Democrats Chair Oliver Kiefer and College Republicans Chair Sara Mikolajczak, all I could think about was how pointed the questions were and how they blatantly favored the Democrats. While it has been commented on by some writers in The Badger Herald… Read more »

In response to �College protests blood drives,� Feb. 6: San Jose State University has epitomized an irresponsible, counterproductive protest in refusing to participate in blood drives to protest the Food and Drug Administration’s discrimination against homosexuals. The FDA does, indeed, refuse blood donations from men who admit to having had… Read more »

The debate between the College Republicans and College Democrats last night at Memorial Union was an exercise in futility, symptomatic of the flimsiness of our campus political groups. What had the potential for raising the level of academic and political discourse on campus fell flat on its face � despite… Read more »

You completely missed the mark with your editorial on Wednesday�s snowstorm (�Just another day,� Feb. 7). It was smug, dismissive and completely out of touch. Describing the situation on campus as an �inconvenience� for students with disabilities and commuters was the understatement of the year. No one who uses a… Read more »

In response to �Robin Hood only lives in fairy tales, liberals� fantasies,� Feb. 7: While I�m certain that freshman economics major Sam Clegg is currently flooded with requests to speak at the next meeting of the United Nations Committee on Economic and Social Affairs, I feel compelled to issue the… Read more »

David Lapidus calls for less partisan extremes and a greater balance between free markets and government control (�Balance market, government roles,� Jan. 21). Yet it is precisely this mix that causes the problems Mr. Lapidus cites, especially regarding our health care system. Free markets work precisely because they are free.… Read more »

In his article (�Barrett alleges discrimination at 2 UW schools,� Jan. 21) Pedro Oliveira Jr. misstates my position, writing, �Barrett was heavily scrutinized in fall 2006 for his public affiliation with the belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center were perpetrated by the U.S.… Read more »

Although it is well intentioned, the proposed Student Services Finance Committee member stipend is inappropriate. SSFC will always have problems attracting and retaining members, whether they receive financial compensation or not. This is the consequence of general apathy for activism on campus. This is demonstrated in the notoriously low participation… Read more »

I am writing in response to the recent editorial ("$$FC," Dec. 6) that denounced the $20 per meeting stipend for Student Services Finance Committee members as a "wasteful" allocation of segregated fees. Until recently I sat on that committee and want to address several concerns regarding the stipend. To clarify,… Read more »

As students, faculty and staff navigate their way to and from classes after the first snowfall of the year and residents of Madison go about their daily business, travel delays are to be expected. Longer walks to campus buildings and backed up roads during high traffic flow may be acceptable… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin is one of the forerunners in environmental change, yet one of the most easily accessible community transportation assets goes unnoticed by a vast majority of our student body. Started in October 2003 by Sonja Newenhouse, Community Car was opened in order "to improve the environment and… Read more »

Organic food is, overall, best in quality and safety for consumption. According to John Cloud in a 2007 issue of Time magazine, 25 percent of Americans are buying organic today. There are more than a few reasons that we all should be buying organic. First, law regulates organic foods; they… Read more »

In light of the recent fires that affected two separate residences and impacted more than 35 UW students near our campus, I’d like to publicly recognize the efforts of the following: The Madison Police Department The University Police Department The Madison Fire Department The American Red Cross The University Book… Read more »

Our university spent $41 million on campus energy in the 2006 fiscal year: 46 percent for electricity, 47 percent for power plant coal/gas/oil and 7 percent for water and sewage. Gov. Doyle has required all state facilities and campuses to reduce energy use by 20 percent in just four years,… Read more »

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., continues to bear unfounded attacks on her gender and tenacity even as she increases the margin she has on her opponents in the 2008 presidential race.As Ms. Clinton continues her campaign of change, government responsibility and empowerment, she is continuously challenged on her ability to govern… Read more »

I'm left flabbergasted by the hypocrisy that is our eco-friendly Madison community. On our green campus where conserving efforts for Madison's lakes are a top priority, it seems absurd that the UW System has not executed recycling efforts in both public and private residences. I'm not a liberal tree-hugging hippie,… Read more »

Thanksgiving should be a time for celebration, not suffering. Yet, approximately 45 million turkeys — smart, social birds that enjoy taking dust baths, having their feathers stroked and gobbling along to their favorite tunes — are killed every year for Thanksgiving dinner.Before they are killed, they spend several months packed… Read more »

In response to "Lawton endorses Clinton for '08," in Tuesday's newspaper:"According to (UW College Republicans Chair Sara) Mikolajczak, it would not be a good idea to elect a woman as president while women are still seen as the inferior sex. This would only make the United States lose credibility in… Read more »

This year marks the passing of another farm bill and another opportunity to reform outdated and unfair subsidy policies. The decision to subsidize farmers was a result of post-WWII economic hardships and the U. S. government’s need to support domestic agricultural efforts. Fifty years later, however, these intentions are being… Read more »

I would like to address the opinion column by Sara Biersteker (“UHS, Planned Parenthood should rethink access to pill,” Oct. 29) describing her frustration with access to emergency contraception (EC), also known as Plan B. As the co-chair of a student organization on campus called VOX (Voices for Planned Parenthood),… Read more »

In his story (“Law School warns students of strange man,” Oct. 18), Pedro Oliveira condones how some persons from the Law School have damaged the reputations of Alfred Fares and myself. In my opinion, even if I had made the vague alleged comments attributed to me, I am still being… Read more »

Everyone knows that robust competition is what keeps prices low and quality high. Small wonder, then, that consumers are so unhappy with their current choices for video services — the rising prices, the lack of innovation. The choices are just not there. There’s a reason for this. While current federal… Read more »

The recent article on detox ("Ending up in detox," Oct. 25) is another example of lazy reporting by your paper. Rather than investigating the real causes of the upswing in detox visits by students, the reporter simply took the statements of police officers and detox center staff at face value.… Read more »

Many students are counting down the days until they can go to a place where meals are free, laundry is taken care of and familiar friends and family are joyful to see one another. A place called home is where a good number of students will flock to during holiday… Read more »

As a proud alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, I bleed cardinal and white. I love our university and have worked tirelessly to make it even better, both financially and through my time and talent. As much as I love this place, on football Saturdays, in and outside of Camp… Read more »

David Horowitz does not speak for Muslims. Nevertheless, he has taken it upon himself to decide what is good for Muslims around the world. In his appearance on campus Monday, as a part of his national “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” Mr. Horowitz made factually incorrect statements about Islamic concepts such as… Read more »

All students at the University of Wisconsin, for better or worse, are members of the Associated Students of Madison. Although this name may not be familiar to most students, for student organizations, it is very important. ASM is UW’s student government, charged with the distribution of segregated fees to organizations… Read more »

Anybody who witnessed Kevin Barrett’s obnoxious heckling at David Horowitz’s lecture Monday night saw something truly tragic — the irrelevant ranting of a man briefly assuming a limelight he no longer inhabits. It never really mattered that Mr. Barrett believes the Sept. 11 attacks were orchestrated by the Bush administration,… Read more »

I attended the lecture by David Horowitz Monday night and was appalled by the behavior of several of those in attendance. I went into the speech with an open mind, willing to listen and think about what he had to say. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of listening or having… Read more »

Friday afternoon I received an e-mail from the Campus Antiwar Network. Opening the e-mail I read across the headline: “TheCampus Antiwar Network and theOffices of the Dean of Studentsbrings you….” Later I read that military deserter, Camilo Mejia, was the “guest of honor” for the event the e-mail was publicizing.… Read more »

As a former military intelligence soldier with eight years in uniform and two tours in Iraq under my metaphorical belt, I would like to point out how freaking idiotic the “Islamo-Fascist” neologism really is. For one, “fascist” and “totalitarian” are not synonyms, no matter what Bill O’Reilly might have told… Read more »