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Self-driving cars will eradicate accidents

Did you know that 81 percent of car crashes are due to human error? Lately, the media has constantly been discussing ways to make the road a safer place. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traffic incidents kill upwards of 33,000 people every year. Car accidents cause distress for individuals; however, many of these accidents can be avoided since a disturbing number are a consequence of inattentive driving. The solution: the self-driving car.

There is too much emphasis placed in STEM

I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel sheepish, maybe even insecure, when I tell people I’m undecided about my intended major. In a data-driven culture where studying science, technology, engineering or math (otherwise known as STEM) is deemed both promising and prestigious, a stigma against undecided or humanities-driven students has arisen. I have fallen victim to this stigma, and I want to make amends for doing so.

Are universities providing misinformation?

While the college experience is one of the milestones that many Americans reminisce about for the rest of their lives, the main reason students go to college is so they can get a job once they graduate. While college is a time for meeting new people, trying new things and learning how to live without our families, it is also a time for us to become skilled in a profession that we could be taking on for the rest of our lives. The importance of college in this new and uber-competitive job market is critical, and many students and their families are willing to put themselves in hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt so they can have a diploma. However, what if you can’t find a job after graduation? Was the sacrifice worth it?

Putting the spotlight back on Native American culture

A little more than a century ago, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was a completely different place than the campus we walk today. In 1840, just eight years before the founding of UW-Madison, the population of the Madison area consisted of 99 percent Ho-Chunk, and a mere one percent of non-Indian society. In a recent interview with Interim Assistant Dean and Director of the School of Education Aaron Bird Bear, conducted by UW-Madison Communications Director John Lucas, Bird Bear highlighted the transformation of the area, saying, “there has been a complete physical and social transformation of Dejope from a marshy burr oak savannah with much less forest cover.” This is compared to the hustling and bustling that we see today. If this complete physical and social transformation of our campus area has only happened in the past 170 years, why do only a small percentage of students take concern with this issue?

Peaceful protesting no longer exists in our political climate

The First Amendment to the Constitution, found in the Bill of Rights, famously protects the right to assemble. Groups across campus and across the country have fully utilized this right. Groups such as Black Lives Matter, PETA and even Westboro Baptist Church lead massive protests. While the right to assemble is important, organizations have seemed to overlook one key word within the First Amendment: That word is peaceably. The First Amendment protects the right to peaceably assemble, not violently assemble. Unfortunately, many protesters and student activists seem to have forgotten this important word and many protests have taken a turn for the worst.

Voter ID laws are limiting democracy

Last month, I took time out of my day to go to the Red Gym and vote. The primary election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court opening was being held, and I was eager to fulfill my democratic duty.

Cardinal View: Civic engagement is more than presidential voting

Election season is once again upon us.

We must look past what presidential candidates say

With Wisconsin’s presidential primary fast approaching on Tuesday, April 5, it is important that everyone voting makes an educated and informed decision. I cannot stress this enough. Educating and informing yourself about the potential candidates is an absolutely necessary precursor to voting. Too many people simply vote for a candidate because of the letter “D” or “R” next to his or her name. I understand that some people have strong loyalties to a party, but I encourage everyone to research the candidates in every election before voting. You just might learn something.

Hillary Clinton’s Wall Street ties raise questions

During Sunday’s Democratic Debate in Flint, Mich., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took a moment to highlight what he felt to be a significant difference between himself and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in terms of economic reform. As Sanders remarked: “While we are on [the topic of] Wall Street, one of us has a super PAC. One of us has raised $15 million from Wall Street for that super PAC. One of us has given speeches on Wall Street for hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

Fighting the Hoverboard hype

Well Badgers, spring is upon us. People are coming out of hibernation, the sun is shining and the hoverboards are back in action. By now, I am sure you have all seen these sideways, glorified ripsticks zooming around town. When I was researching them online, I found one that was “aerodynamic,” matte purple and included a built-in Bluetooth speaker as well as a “free carry bag.” If you don't think that will up your street cred then stay on the internet and find literally anything else on the market. Curveball: I think hoverboards are stupid.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday he is endorsing Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

A conservative approach to ending poverty

On Friday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan addressed a full ballroom of conservatives at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Unlike most speakers at the event, Ryan did not focus on normal Republican issues such as the economy, tax cuts, national security or social issues. Instead he directed his appearance towards a new legislative push to reform how the federal government addresses poverty.

Americans need to see through Donald Trump’s pageantry

The race for the Republican nomination has offered the American people endless hours of entertainment since their campaign started last year. From nonsensical debates to defamatory sound bytes, the nominees have brought their mudslinging into the media in a way the American public has never seen before. However, we are no longer able to shrug off the Republican candidates and their antics. Now that the general election is rearing its head and primaries are beginning to stack up, the race for the official nomination is becoming frighteningly real.

UW-Madison must bring back baseball

Few things are a more recognizable harbinger of spring than the return of baseball. As Major Leaguers show up to camp in Florida and Arizona and teams made up of players of all ages dust off their old mitts, people around the country know that at long last, winter is coming to an end.

Letter to the editor: I want to feel safe

Just this past Sunday I took part in a privilege walk during the All Campus Leadership Conference. If you don’t know what a privilege walk is, it’s where everyone stands in a line shoulder-to-shoulder, someone reads off statements, and if you identify with a statement, you take a step forward. It’s meant to make people aware of their own privilege as well as how they compare to others in their community. If you haven’t done one, I highly suggest it, it’s such an easy and eye-opening experience. While these privilege walks bring up so many different points of privilege, I want to focus on one in particular that stuck out to me. Now first I should explain the demographics in the room. It was a group of ten people—nine were female and one was male. The moderator asked, “How many of you feel safe walking home alone at night?”

The way we choose our presidents is flawed

The way we elect our presidents in the U.S. is a convoluted system filled with primaries, caucuses, delegates, party conventions, campaigns and rhetoric filled with fear and anger. The debates are not filled with real issues, only trivial arguing. Our elections have become more of a reality TV show than a democratic process. These are just some of the reasons why I believe the way we elect our presidents is improper and unacceptable. As a country we need to rethink the way we are voting for our leaders and decide if it is the most effective way of getting the most qualified people into office.

Why do we gripe about GMOs?

If you have shopped in a grocery store within the last six months, you have undoubtedly come across products displaying the label “non-GMO” or “GMO-free,” meaning they are not genetically modified organisms. For years past, genetically engineered food has been thought of as a sort of “Frankenfood” by the public. However, contrary to this seemingly popular belief, the technology’s monumental promise is clearer than ever before.

K-12 school curriculum needs revamping

In today’s job market, applicants cannot be competitive without digital fluency. For most people, that means proficiency in Microsoft Office and other Internet platforms. However, with the tech industry booming, more and more jobs are requiring more sophisticated digital know-how such as HTML or CSS coding skills.

Trump can’t make America great again

For the first time in this presidential primary season, businessman Donald Trump was put on his heels during a debate. Previously, Trump had been able to evade damage from any attacks during debates. Former Gov. Jeb Bush attempted to call Trump out numerous times but never seemed to be able to land a powerful punch in the debates. Both Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took Trump to task in the debate Thursday, and their attacks should only increase as more primaries are held. Nominating Trump as the Republican nominee would set back the conservative movement for the next 10 years. True conservatives should embrace Cruz and Rubio’s attempts to expose Trump as the narcissistic, self-serving individual he is and hope that one of those two ultimately becomes the nominee.

Dare to travel outside of your comfort zone

When I was only two weeks old, I embarked on my first plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean. Considering traveling is one of my family’s favorite pastimes, it was something that they practically forced me to do against my own will ever since I can remember. My parents would constantly travel to London for various reasons. Me, as young as I was, would also have to go with them. So as you can imagine, I became an avid traveler very quickly. By the time I finished elementary school, I had been to Iran, Singapore, London, Portugal, France and Malaysia. These journeys were moments in my life that I treasure not only because they were enjoyable, but more importantly because it taught me about the world’s different cultures, values and ideals.