Before you begin reading the rest of this article, you should either conjure up your memory of a world map or go and look at one right now. Aim your focus at “The Middle East.” Understanding the Middle East’s geography is important to understanding the historical implications of the Arab Spring and other current uprisings.
Last Wednesday was the first part of the “Promise of Our Democracy” dialogue hosted by the Interactivity Foundation. It is a series of dinners where people split up into small groups with about six to eight people in each to talk about how we can make our democracy better. Being able to see people really flesh out how they think about things is special. The one thing that I noticed there that just blew me away was how nuanced people were. And it is not just about having mixed views, because that does not capture how different people can be.
Six American soldiers were killed by Afghan National Army soldiers last week. They were among the 40 people killed in anti-American attacks after American soldiers accidental burned copies of the Koran at the Bagram Air Base. This comes at a time when the United States is increasing training efforts to prepare for transferring security duties to Afghan forces by 2014.
Two years ago, Andrew Harris was terminated from his position as a seventh-grade science teacher for viewing and sharing inappropriate content on his computer. According to Wisconsin State Journal, some of Harris’ colleagues commented on how he would show inappropriate images during team meetings, at least once displaying pornographic pictures as students passed near an open door. However, just recently, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Harris, granting him his job back with back pay and benefits of about $200,000.
Since I’ve come to Madison it’s seemed to me that there was a concerted effort, whether conscious or subconscious, to reign in the school’s traditional character. I’m sure many of us who are Wisconsin residents have heard about Madison, or some sort of UW history, like I have. My mom and some relatives have either graduated from UW-Madison or at least attended it at some point in their lives. The infamous Mifflin Street Block Party, whether some people want it gone or not, is indistinguishable from the university’s public image, something that the majority of the community would agree on.
College is a great institution for those looking to seriously challenge themselves and advance their understanding of self and environment. A collegiate environment also provides an excellent opportunity for students to form a working relationship with their professors in a way that helps them understand what they went to school to learn in the first place. Additionally, the dynamic environment of a campus, particularly here in Madison, allows for one to form his or her own connections in the vast social network—the real, living one, not that fake online knockoff. Unfortunately, the aspects that make college so great are being diluted by the overwhelming amount of people attending college.
The angry protesters marching around Madison these past few days have good reason to be upset.
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Solutions by The State News
