Opinion

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Police killings are indeed racial issue

I’m sick to my stomach writing this. I’m sickened by the callousness with which people I grew up with are talking about the death of a human being, and sickened by the fact that Madison is now on the map for the killing of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of a white police officer. I’m in disbelief that my fellow citizens would be so ignorant as to look at the pervasive, disproportionate use of lethal force against blacks and not see that what we are dealing with is an explicitly racial issue with an entrenched historical precedent. 

Letter to the Editor: Stick to the pen and pad for fewer distractions in lecture

I have some feedback in response to Maddie Murphy’s article: Note taking should be brought into the 21st Century...

Letter to the Editor: Respect Robinson, respect the police

Last Friday night, 19-year-old Tony Robinson was fatally shot by Officer Matt Kenny of the Madison Police Department, under uncertain circumstances. Robinson was unarmed. He was also African-American, while Kenny is white. The incident led immediately to protests and discussion, which are ongoing.

Women’s push for equality must begin locally on campus

Sunday, March 8 was Daylight Savings Time, which meant the day consisted of only 23 hours instead of the usual 24. This also meant that many women only had 23 hours to celebrate International Women’s Day. But the celebration occurred all over the globe.

Tony Robinson: Don't forget his name

New law puts transparency to the test

State Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, pulled into a gas station Friday night and saw firsthand why a bipartisan law she co-authored during the last Assembly session is so important.

It is time to solve our obesity crisis

It is a well-known fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and much of the developed world. Our bodies have not yet evolved to accommodate our new sugar, salt and cholesterol-rich diets, seeing as these things were all but delicacies in the Paleolithic Age. Now, rates of obesity-related illness are through the roof in both adults and children. It seems no matter how much Americans are told by the government they should go and live healthier lives, obesity won’t go away.

During tough times, lean on those who care about you

Do you ever have one of those days where it feels as though all of your mistakes have caught up to you? You know those mornings when you wake up wishing you could take back that stupid thing you did last weekend, or thinking you should call your mom more often or contemplating an attempt to finish that calculus assignment that was due last week? Those mornings where it feels as though you wake up to a mountain of thoughts all disorderly jumbled inside your head? About two weeks ago, I had one of those mornings.

Reselling your Badger tickets? Keep prices reasonable

I love my WisCard. It makes me feel like I live in a monopoly land. “That will be $3.27,” says the cashier at the dining hall as I whimsically hand them my magical card that somehow holds the key to the imaginary land full of money and sugar and access to the SERF. My WisCard doesn’t care what my GPA is, and my WisCard is always there when I need a workout or an omelet.

Greek life needs to be more inclusive

When I registered for Panhellenic sorority recruitment last summer I did not know the process would lead me to meet 50 girls who would forever change my college experience. You are likely thinking, “Great… another sappy, over-peppy sorority girl article,” but I can assure you this is not the case. Instead, I would like to bring your attention to something that goes unnoticed within UW-Madison’s Greek recruitment process: the lack of representation from the neighboring Madison Area Technical College community.

Defeating Boko Haram requires admitting previous failures

Our world is ravaged by multiple terrorist groups, and we desperately need to find some solutions to terminate these threats. I think to solve these tremendous problems, a careful approach with an equally tremendous effort is required. It is important to remember, however, to learn from failed efforts to stop terrorist groups. One such failure is the Nigerian government’s efforts to eliminate the troubles of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

Letter to the editor: Right-to-work will drive down wages

Last week, Gov. Walker officially made the decision to sign so-called “Right to Work” if it landed on his desk.  This announcement by the presumed 2016 presidential candidate has caused an uproar throughout the state.  When Republicans opened a forum this week to address the issue, thousands of union workers and supporters from across Wisconsin flocked to the steps of the capital to give testimony on how this bill will affect not only their lives, but the lives of their co-workers, family, and friends. Union brothers and sisters were standing in freezing temperatures together singing songs of how “the union makes us strong,” and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO had a whole lineup of speakers to rally the troops, make noise, and show the legislators that they have upset many working Wisconsinites.

Cardinal View: Right-to-work legislation is pure politics

As the Republicans swept through statehouses, governor’s mansions and Congress in the Tea Party wave of 2010, there was an almost immediate reaction from one of the left’s biggest supporters: unions. Legislation proposed in the beginning of 2011 that would bar public sector unions from a practice known as collective bargaining sparked the reaction. From Madison, Wis., to Columbus, Ohio, union members became the backbone of weeks-long protests that gripped Rust Belt states.

Don’t sacrifice living in the moment for the big picture

Sunday. The day of rest never seems to live up to expectations. For me, it usually includes relentlessly avoiding my homework for hours, consuming copious amounts of peanut butter cups, always followed by the crippling realization that it’s 10 p.m. and I have accomplished next to nothing all day. I always have to pay for my Sundays later in the week, which usually results in very long nights doing the mindless assignments that I had previously deemed a “waste of my weekend” and subsequently refused to complete them until the night before they’re due.

President Obama seeks congressional authorization to take new direction against ISIL

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a group of butchers. There is no question to the atrocities they are guilty of, from inhumane executions of prisoners, to organ trafficking and child prostitution, these disgusting religious extremists deserve nothing less than swift retribution. However, this white-knuckled rage against a stateless, seemingly faceless enemy, is a dangerous one that led us to the quagmire that was the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Looking at US military policy from the conflicts in the Middle East over the past decade, I believe there are things that could have been done differently, both on the battlefield and off of it. High civilian casualties, an absence of reliable government, and lack of dedicated humanitarian aid/infrastructure development after the siege of Baghdad led to a failure that even the most hard-nosed conservative would be pressed to support entirely. Despite this idea of temperance and looking toward history, my anger rose again when I wondered how many more headlines I would have to read of civilians executed by ISIL. Countries such as Jordan, with far fewer resources than the United States, have responded in kind to ISIL, showing they will not be cowed. My fears were put to rest a few weeks ago when it was announced President Obama was holding an address to the nation regarding action against ISIL.

Republican's foreign policy strategies are tired and dated

The New York Times published an article this past Tuesday stressing the importance of foreign policy in the impending race among Republican presidential contenders. With the national economy improving under President Obama’s term and foreign policy challenges, like the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East and U.S.-Russia relations surrounding the Ukraine crisis, hawkish conservatives will undoubtedly look for political strength in foreign issues.

In college, it pays to be thoughtful

Back in May 2014, Purdue collaborated with Gallup, the public opinion baron, to publish a report on the factors of postgraduate well-being. The result was a beautiful 24-page document that looks for a “holistic view of college graduates’ lives,” one that departs from the typical college metrics of statistics and rankings and “reflect[s] the myriad [of] reasons why students go to college.” Purdue and Gallup wanted to find if college was doing as much as it promised to help grads attain satisfying jobs and happy lives.

Academy award winners use acceptance speeches to preach acceptance

While the Oscars were a televised event of musical numbers and stars dressed in gorgeous evening wear, there was something about the ceremony that resurrected more feelings than usual. As is the norm at award shows, actors accepted awards with meaningful and poignant speeches.

Franchise fatigue prompts film debate

Of the 10 highest-grossing films of 2014, eight were franchises and half of those eight were superhero films. Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of the independently produced “Birdman,” proclaimed in a Rolling Stone interview that these movies are “ruining things in a lot of ways” and “keep taking up room that could be going to smaller films.” Conversely, when asked by Rolling Stone if there are too many superhero films on the market, Paul Thomas Anderson, who helmed the also independently produced “Inherent Vice,” quipped that “people need to get a life if they’re having that discussion.” 

Staying in the moment is the key to exceeding expectations

Many advertising agencies and other experts annually review marketing industry reports for current trends. I believe that trend reports tremendously help marketers to shape and plan various marketing strategies. I acknowledge that the rudiments of marketing always seem to be coherent, how one applies these fundamentals to altering trends is crucial. This is what I believe to be the most intriguing and interesting trend of this year: exceeding expectations in unexpected ways.