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Friday, December 26, 2025

Opinion

OPINION

Questions about food content? Ask a farmer for answers

By Jordan Gaal | Sep. 21, 2017

Many people, understandably, want to know more about their food and how it’s produced. With recent news stories about chemicals in ice cream, confined cows and intimidating science, it can be hard to know what to believe. If you’re seeking the absolute truth, ask any farmer or agricultural student.

OPINION

Language and attitude toward suicide causes stigma for treatment

By Alexandra Hader | Sep. 18, 2017

Suicide is a term riddled with a negative connotation, and yet it is commonplace in society today. The stigma of silence around suicide and the idea that it shouldn’t be talked about can be one of the biggest barriers in effectively preventing suicides and helping a struggling individual seek treatment. One way to combat this is to have less stigmatizing language when addressing suicide and is something that can be practiced in everyday life. Rather than saying someone “committed suicide,” implicating that they are criminal or committed a crime, it’s better to say outright that they “took their own life” or “died by suicide”. It’s also harmful to say things like “successful” or “unsuccessful” or “failed attempt” at suicide, or saying that somebody “finally succeeded in committing suicide.” You don’t want to assign blame or make it seem like suicide is a goal.

OPINION

Students should not let their fears hinder them

By Brooklyn Smith | Sep. 18, 2017

Happy Emperor Norton Day y’all. September 17 marks the day in 1859 that a San Franciscan named Joshua Norton declared himself emperor of the United States. The truly remarkable part of Norton’s story is not that he declared himself a sovereign entity, but that nearly the entirety of San Francisco went along with it. He was never allowed real political power, but he was respected to the point that he ate at fine dining establishments for free, always had a reserved place at plays and even got out of an arrest for insanity because the public outcry was so vociferous that the chief of police issued a formal apology; from then on, the police would apparently salute him on sight, likely relieved (I’m not joking) to have been granted an imperial pardon. Because he was short on money after running afoul of the Peruvian rice market, he created his own tender which was useable in the city, briefly declared himself Protector of Mexico, and when a dog that was associated with him (one of two dogs who were local celebrities for reasons unrelated to Norton) died, the writer of its eulogy was none other than Mark Twain, who also based the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn character the King on Norton. Upon Emperor Norton’s death, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Norton I, by the grace of God, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico, departed this life,” and, depending on the source, his funeral had at least 10,000 mourners. September 17 also marks the day before the second full week of class, when stress kicks into high gear. In order to make the best of this year, whether you’re nearly ready to graduate or are one of seemingly 15,000 freshmen, I recommend looking to Emperor Norton’s lessons on success. The first tip you should take from Norton is to take control. Just from taking a quick look at Facebook, one of the biggest stressors right now is our political climate; many of us are on a pendulum, swinging from disgust toward the Trump administration to a deep sense of exhaustion that comes from being too immersed in the political world for too long. According to Psychology Today’s unintentionally scathing blog post “How to Cope With Trump Anxiety” written by Steven Stosny, Ph.D, “anxiety and nervousness arise when we feel powerless.” The article further stresses the importance of empowering ourselves and focusing on what we can control. Emperor Norton took a stand in the name of common sense, and was also sick of political sparring; one of his royal decrees thus abolished the Democratic and Republican parties.

OPINION

Hurricane Irma relief not proactive enough for elderly Floridians

By Hannah Schwarz | Sep. 11, 2017

It looks as though America cannot get a break from the devastating tropical storms as Hurricane Irma barrels towards Florida and the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Civilians are trying to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey as Hurricane Irma gets closer to Florida by the minute. In one of the country’s hours of need, it is difficult to not be frustrated and disappointed in the Trump administration’s lack of initiative to handle these national disasters.

After “Wisconn Valley” announcement, some leery of potential broken promise
OPINION

Cons outweigh pros of Foxconn factory deal

By Peter Kane | Sep. 6, 2017

In late July, President Trump along with Gov. Scott Walker and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn’s plan to build a flat-panel display screen factory in southeastern Wisconsin.

OPINION

Cardinal View: Campus sexual assault survivors deprived of justice

By Editorial Board | Jul. 28, 2017

Two sexual assaults reported at UW-Madison ended in injustice this month. Nathan Friar will serve eight years of probation for a second-degree sexual assault he was convicted of, and no jail time. Nicholas Ralston was found not guilty of third-degree sexual assault, despite sending a text stating, “...I sexually assaulted [the victim] last night...” It’s common for editorials or campaigns speaking out against sexual assault to open with statistics.

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