Ethnicity not an issue for 1970s student
I read of Ms. Lara's unhappy experience at UW-Madison (""'Silhouette' speaks out about diversity at UW,"" March 14). While it is unfortunate she did not take advantage of the opportunity, I believe she gave up far too easily.
I am also Hispanic and attended UW-Madison in the 1970s. My experience was terrific. I found no problem making friends'many of whom I remain close with over 20 years later. Not once did I encounter a situation where I felt my ethnic background was an issue. I did not seek out friends of any particular race or ethnic group nor did I want to. Instead, my friends shared common interests in academics and other pursuits. My brother followed me to UW-Madison and also had a great experience. We were from New Jersey, so the culture shock of Wisconsin life in general was far more of a challenge than ethnicity issues.
Thompson only pro-marijuana candidate
I found the poll showing that medical marijuana has received 80 percent support statewide is very encouraging, as doctors and patients know a hell of a lot more about necessary medicines than do bureaucrats in the state capitol. There is, however, something quite discouraging that I read in the Capital Times March 13. We currently have six candidates campaigning to become the next governor of Wisconsin. Despite the fact that ""medical marijuana"" has received 80 percent statewide support (and 90 percent support in Dane County), there is only one candidate who has come out in favor of this proposition.
Speaking at MATC yesterday, Ed Thompson rightfully criticized the other candidates for not endorsing this bill. In fact, Congressman Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, actually voted for a resolution against states allowing medical marijuana. The people of Wisconsin have spoken on this issue, and yet only one candidate has the courage to stand up for suffering AIDS, cancer, arthritis and glaucoma patients. Ed Thompson has shown time and again why he should be the next governor of Wisconsin.
Mental health issues misunderstood at UW
I was sitting in a cafe yesterday when I came across the story of Andrea Yates, the woman who drowned her five children.
Almost as soon as I had finished reading the article, I overheard a conversation between a guy and a girl sitting at the table next to me. They both seemed to agree without hesitation that this ""evil"" woman should be sent right to the gas chamber. I squelched my initial emotional impulse to go over there and ask them if they at least considered the possibility that she was insane at the time of these drownings, and if that would have affected their decision at all.
The answer came to me as I was walking home: Most people don't know anything about mental illness, and if they do know, they don't understand it. If they did, their reaction towards the Andrea Yates case would be quite different. They would see that this women was a victim, in addition to her children'a victim not just of the illness that afflicted her, but of the society that doesn't understand it.
Most people on campus don't seem to be very informed about this case, and I can see why. I searched the database for both The Daily Cardinal and the Badger Herald for anything involving Andrea Yates, and I came up with a big fat zero both times. To be fair, I thought I couldn't judge the campus media based on one news story, so I searched the database again, this time using the more general ""mental illness"" as the keyword. The closest thing that popped up was a review of the movie ""A Beautiful Mind,"" which was better than nothing.
People with mental conditions are the largest group of people on campus with the least amount of support outside of the University Health Services. While searching through the myriad of student orgs here on campus, I learned that we have an organization for people interested in Appalachian clogging and the Crimean War, but not a single group promoting mental health awareness. And in the residence halls, where racism, sexism and homophobia are discussed in house meetings with knowledgeable liaisons, mental health is barely touched, if at all. This ignorance can lead to hostility on the part of those who don't understand what it means to be mentally ill, and for those who are mentally ill it can cause them to deny their symptoms and not seek treatment.
Though an illness as severe as Andrea Yates' is relatively rare and probably not comparable to the average student with a mental illness, it could have provided a rare opportunity to ignite a meaningful discussion on campus about mental illnesses, and I don't think it is too late.
