Opinion

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Breaking cell phone addiction

Vonnegut remains modern literary icon

Myanmar lashes out at Rohingya

Human history is very complex—as bright as it can be, it could also represent us to be the mere descendants of twisted minds as we repeat the regrettably depressing past. One of many moments predominated by this is the history of ethnic genocide. Today, another ethnic genocide deeply rooted  in religious and ethnic conflicts in Myanmar is continuing to worsen. The Rohingya, a muslim minority group in a country which is predominantly Buddhist, is on the verge of another genocide at the hands of the Myanmar government.

Letter to the editor: Waubesa Wetlands’ protection threatened

The Waubesa Wetlands, located at the southwestern edge of Lake Waubesa, are home to a plethora of plant and animal species. As a source of ecological and aesthetic importance, the Wetlands are one of the area’s prized locations, named one of the state’s “100 Wetland Gems” by the Wisconsin Wetland Association. But this rich and beautiful area is currently threatened by a proposed plan to develop the 924-acre Northeast Neighborhood of Fitchburg, which lies near the wetlands. Despite testimony from several experts, the Capitol Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) may be pushing forward to do just that, with potentially disastrous results.

Be thankful and gobble up the spirit of Thanksgiving

Halloween weekend has come and gone. Barely there costumes and piles of candy (among other things) are no longer in our dreams or mantra to get us through the school week. Instead of moving on to the next holiday, which would be Thanksgiving, the entire campus has gone Christmas crazy. The talk in classrooms and on all social media forums is of Christmas music, Christmas decorations and Christmas presents. Even as I write this article, I am listening to Christmas music and drinking hot cocoa. While I am not opposed to Starbucks switching its seasonal drink choice away from the favored pumpkin spice latte to the peppermint mocha, I am lost in the dash to get to Christmas.

Burke concession displays passion

Following the news of her inevitable defeat, Mary Burke delivered her concession speech to a crowd of disappointed supporters Tuesday night.  It was, in a word, brilliant.  She demonstrated passion, determination, humor and a touching poignance that would have even tugged at the emotions of those who opposed her most.  She appeared smart and in control, but most importantly, she looked like a leader, a leader willing to fight and claw to defend her democratic values.  All of this led me to ask: Where the hell was this during the campaign?

Spotify app illuminates negative aspects of capitalism

A few weeks ago, over Twitter, I had a slightly tempestuous series of exchanges with the music streaming company Spotify. Its services, which can be accessed by either paying directly or agreeing to listen to advertisements intermittently between songs, are available for both computers and phones. 

Walker poised to champion GOP ideals

Scott Walker was able to emerge victorious in his third election in four years and returns as Wisconsin’s governor. Gov. Walker’s win coincided with a dominant night for Republicans around the country. Despite the fact that Gov. Walker’s tenure has been marred with controversy, he was able to defeat Democratic candidate Mary Burke with relative ease.

Get off your ass and vote already

Today is the last day to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. across the state. This election is the culmination of all the political ads you’ve been inundated with over the past months and those awkward Facebook debates with your freshman year roommate’s weird Uncle Jeffrey that went on far too long without a semblance of a hope of changing anyone’s mind. 

Space tourism proves one giant leap too far

Last Friday, Michael Alsbury, a pilot flying a test run for a Virgin Galactic spaceship, lost his life when the spaceship crashed on its California test site.  In addition to the tragedy of Alsbury’s death, this crash could also be an early deathblow to the fledgling space tourism industry. Virigin Galactic has been one of the top contributors to advancing the front of space tourism.  While the company and founder, Richard Branson will have some difficult lessons to learn concerning the failed crash, some of which may involve listening to advisers who told them the ship was not ready for testing, perhaps we can all learn a lesson from the unfullfiled hype that the crash has imposed upon those who were excited for the potential of space tourism.

Snapchat account shows student life at UW

Fighting sexism requires vigilance

Less than a week from today, our state could elect its first female governor.  It would come two years after we elected someone who had been the state’s first congresswoman to be the first woman to serve Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.  Beyond that, two years from next Tuesday the country as a whole may, for the first time, put a woman in the White House.  What an extraordinary set of accomplishments for those women, and for the country itself.  While the prospect of these electoral victories excites me, there is one result that may accompany them that has me worried.

Comic: Midterm Democrats and President Obama

Letter to the editor: Women must negotiate salaries, can’t wait for karma

Evidently, only men are supposed to ask for raises. Women who do will only annoy their bosses and instead should simply have faith in the system and hope for good karma. This is what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently stated. Although he later apologized for his “inarticulate” response, the fact remains that his initial answer serves to mask the tremendous gender wage gap that still exists. It also reinforces dangerous beliefs about workplace communication, which research has found already differs in ways that generally disadvantage female workers.

Letter to the editor: Turn out for what? Tuition prices

On November 4th we are given the opportunity to vote in the mid-term elections.  As students, we can choose to refrain from voting and allow others to make election decisions for us, or we can choose to exercise our ability to vote and actually play a decision- making role in our own futures.  Your vote is your voice. It is your opportunity to influence the future. Regardless of where your political values lie, your vote strengthens the student voice which much too often gets ignored.  The more student voters, the more representation students get. Together, we can change the statistic that our age group has one of the lowest voter turnouts. Together, we can strengthen the student voice. 

Complaining helps contribute to our everyday interactions

It is the start of another week. You groan as you crawl out of your bed and moan as you slide into your first lecture of the week, which happens to be an 8 a.m. As you attempt to stimulate conversation with the other “Monday haters” around, you word vomit all the complaints in your head. 

Cartoon inspires viewer critical thinking

Rick and Morty” is a new and popular show from Adult Swim that real cartoon and science fans should view. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has already rated it a 9.2 and ranked it as the 11th- best TV show of all time, putting it in the company of “Breaking Bad” and “The Sopranos.” All this success has come after only one season, which aired its pilot in December 2013. 

Letter To The Editor: Football continues to set poor example of moral character in society

Letter To The Editor: Water pollution poses huge domestic environmental threat

UW needs to expand weak certificate offerings

When I was navigating the majors fair this past Wednesday I was very impressed by the sheer breadth of majors that our university offers across many fields and disciplines.  It truly is encouraging to know that I have the option to make many different areas my main focus during my time here.  What was discouraging however was the “no” I received when I would walk up to many tables and ask if they offered a certificate in their department.