As UW lauches its first fully online degree in personal finance, students unable to attend UW traditionally are able to succeed.
Category: Opinion
Fox News must face consequences: The news network’s coronavirus failures likely cost lives
This is why I drafted an open letter to Rupert Murdoch and Lachlan Murdoch, the proprietors of the Fox Corporation, a letter that has been signed by over 190 professors of journalism, including the dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, the chair of broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland, the director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, and professors at the Columbia Journalism School, the University of Maryland, the University of California at Berkeley, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, the Annenberg Schools of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California, the University of Iowa, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, New York University, the University of Texas, American University and elsewhere.
Cafeteria workers are risking their health to feed vulnerable students
The pandemic has shown us just how important “lunch ladies” are, and we owe it to them to remember this lesson when school is back in session.
-Jennifer Gaddis is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Society & Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools.
Cafeteria workers are risking their health to feed vulnerable students
The pandemic has shown us just how important “lunch ladies” are, and we owe it to them to remember this lesson when school is back in session.Jennifer Gaddis is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Society & Community Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools.
Is voting by mail safer for us? That depends on how you define ‘safe.’
As the novel coronavirus pandemic besieges the United States, more and more observers are suggesting that November’s votes should be cast by mail — allowing the least possible in-person contact, reducing health risks to both voters and poll workers. (Barry Burden, co-authors)
Column: Tips and tricks to consider for new online classes
As UW attempts to adjust to new form of instruction, here are ways to make the most of the current predicament.
Contact tracing technologies can help stop the spread of covid-19.
But surveillance architectures created in haste could prove difficult to dismantle with anything like the same speed. Pro-privacy groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and STOP are already warning that the infrastructure of tools like facial recognition may not be dismantled. In all likelihood, the status quo has now changed forever — and the improvised solutions of today will inevitably shape the surveillance regimes of tomorrow.
Ben Power is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lisa Reisig Ferrazzano: Let’s stay home for Grandma, but also for her doctors
Letter to the editor from Lisa Reisig Ferrazzano, a linguist, writer and Italian instructor at UW Continuing Studies. She is a mother of three and the wife of a pediatric intensive care doctor at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.
Column: With upcoming midterms, future tests must be considerate to new online instruction
With students, professors scrambling to adjust to new form of teaching, traditional standardized midterms must be changed to fit new situation.
Gloria Ladson-Billings: Why COVID-19 Should Scare Black People
Our risk is tied to our limited access to quality health care. We are less likely to receive a COVID-19 test even if we present with symptoms.
Column: UW should go pass fail, students stressed enough
Not unprecented move, preceded by Harvard.
Trump’s Ebola panic previwed his coronavirus response
Trump’s path into politics was based on questioning the legitimacy of government and “the need to prepare for disaster by maintaining a closed society protected from infected outsiders,” University of Wisconsin researchers Thomas Salek and Andrew Cole concluded in a 2018 study of Trump’s use of the Ebola crisis. They said that Trump’s “apocalyptic rhetoric sketched some of the foundational features of his ‘Make America Great Again’ ” platform in the 2016 campaign.
Malia Jones and James H. Conway: Respect social distancing — and keep your kids home from school ASAP
We are infectious disease specialists at UW-Madison — one an epidemiologist and mother of two boys at Van Hise Elementary School, the other a global health pediatric infectious diseases physician. Out of concern for the safety of our community during this critical moment of the COVID-19 pandemic, we ask all parents (who have the means to do so) to please voluntarily keep your children home from school, starting on Monday.
Research animals deserve a voice — Jamie Hagenow
Letter to the editor: Dogs and cats are not laboratory equipment, they are living, breathing and feeling members of our families.
Column: Madison campus is not diverse, could be more supportive
Non-minority students could do more next year when Black History Month comes around.
Column: Communications should not be a requirement, only leads to apathy, disinterest
Ability to communicate effectively can be key to employment for many college graduates, yet isn’t taught properly at UW.
UW-Madison health researcher gives advice on fighting coronavirus
I’m not an expert on the COVID-19 virus by any stretch, but I study epidemics and have general knowledge and training that is applicable. Here are my thoughts on what’s happening and what we should do.
Jim Graves: Make the Kohl Center a tougher venue for visitors by ringing court with students
Letter to the editor: UW-Madison needs to ring the arena floor with students, making the Kohl Center a tough place for visitors to play.
Students bring energy to stadium — Louis Goodhart
Letter to the editor: Instead of worrying about how to explain away words to children, we focus on educating them about why those words are vulgar and what makes them inappropriate in a particular setting. They’re going to hear those words at school, but at least they can learn about them from home first.
Bias response forms make UW safe for all — Mahee Patel
Letter to the editor: These systems highlight that impact matters regardless of intention. These forms are not so that we can tattle to “nanny campus bureaucracy.” They allow us to enact the change we want to see.
The Supreme Court must stop the trend of judge-shopping
Noted: Ryan J. Owens, J.D., Ph.D., is the George C. and Carmella P. Edwards Professor of American Politics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.
An Open Letter to UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank & Athletic Director Barry Alvarez
We look down onto the court and see the Ab Nichols floor, named after the 1950s two-time all-Big Ten Conference guard and program philanthropist. We look up and see Frank Kaminsky’s No. 44 jersey, where it hangs in honor next to Nichols’ No. 8. And that’s it. The only two players who’ve been given that honor in the 100-plus years of Badger Men’s Basketball are white.
Critical theory represents the power, not the corruption, of the humanities
We can live with post-truth. We can’t live with post-analysis, post-criticism, post-interpretation, post-humanities. That would be the real crisis.Sara Guyer is Kellett professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she directed the Center for the Humanities from 2008 to 2019. She is president of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes and will be speaking at Times Higher Education’s Mena Universities Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Tom Still: Can Wisconsin help combat coronavirus?
At UW-Madison, scientists are working to build non-human primate models to test medical countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics. David O’Connor from the School of Medicine and Public Health and Thomas Friedrich from the School of Veterinary Medicine are a big part of that team, which is hoping to work with others around the world.
Due to Trump’s actions, Hmong peoples’ future in Wisconsin remains uncertain
In response to the threat of Hmong deportations, the University of Wisconsin and UWPD have stated they don’t have any jurisdiction to get involved. As such, attempts to preserve the Hmong community in Wisconsin would have to be a state-wide effort at the very least.
Safe spaces: Acknowledging privilege
At UW-Madison, one in 10 students reported there was at least one incident in which they were the target of hostile, harassing or intimidating behavior, according to a 2016 campus climate survey.
Column: The University should focus on reinvigorating its architecture in the next Master Plan
2015 Master Plan is good, 2025 Master Plan can be even better.
Column: As tuition rates soar, generations of Americans are left financially crippled
Questions about future of education arise following Trump administration’s proposed federal budget, students left in a precarious position
Jill Richardson: A broken promise to teachers and nonprofit workers
OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is pursuing a Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Your letters to the editor: UW should create fund for research monkeys
They are the overlooked heroes that society and the labs should be sending to a sanctuary whenever possible.
Donald Downs: Keep Big Brother off UW campus
For example, a sociology professor mentioned to his students that some theories in higher education are “sacred cows” — a term frequently used to describe something that is taboo to challenge. A student who grew up in India then filed a complaint asserting that the professor’s use of the term was “condescending and racist.”
Op-Ed: Sacramento’s army of interns deserves to be paid
Matthew T. Hora, a professor and director of the Center for Research on College-Work Transitions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, surveyed students at five colleges and universities about why they chose not to intern as undergraduates.
Put an end to UW’s vulgar chanting — Mary Weber
We pride ourselves on our “world class” university — but nothing is classy about the chant.
Roger Johnson: Joe McCarthy has nothing on UW-Madison
Yes, the repressive, politically correct, left wack-jobs are alive and well at UW. What’s next, book burning, hanging witches, Inquisition, etc.?
Should Parents Stop Making School Lunches?
To the Editor: Re “Let the Lunch Lady Feed Your Kids” (Op-Ed, Feb. 12): Kudos to Jennifer Gaddis for her insightful Op-Ed about school meals. They have indeed improved, and in many places across the country, farm-to-school programs and innovative partnerships between schools and chefs have produced outstanding, appealing fresh food.
Laurel Rice and Marina Maes: Let pharmacists prescribe birth control pills
Column by Rice, a doctor, professor, and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Maes, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy.
Dave Skoloda: Investment in UW veterinarians pays dividends
The Super Bowl fame that recently came to Scout, a golden retriever, and the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine had its roots in the state’s politics more than 40 years ago.
Letter: Cancel ‘Jump Around’ if chant continues
Letter to the editor: This chant should not be allowed in this family friendly setting. Building on the current “quid pro quo” (this for that) popularity, we could develop a strategy to eliminate this rude chant.
Column: As the coronavirus spreads to Madison, so does discrimination against Asian-Americans
After UW announced its first case, increasing rates of coronavirus-inspired prejudice against Asian-American students must be addressed.
Column: Student orientation, SOAR, unfair to international students
Most of the ethnic studies classes I really wanted to take had been filled up by those who had the opportunity to enroll earlier. To make matters worse, I got a schedule that was evening-heavy, which meant that I could not take part in many of the extracurricular activities I had intended to, when I became a Badger.
Understaffing leads to cost overruns — David Devereaux-Weber
Letter to the editor: Before I retired, I spent 23 years at UW-Madison. When I was there, management of UW building projects was done by the Wisconsin Division of Facilities Development and Management. This division was underfunded, and on multiple occasions I had long discussions with their engineers when we would bump into each other doing our grocery shopping at 10:30 at night.
State of Wisconsin, UW must implement anti-smoking program to combat youth vaping crisis
While Wisconsin stores are left in legal limbo following Trump’s new nicotine bill, Wisconsin,UW needs to take definitive action against high vaping rates.
Opinion: Why Are You Still Packing Lunch for Your Kids?
The solution is right in front of us. When kids eat school lunch, they and their parents are supporting the efforts to improve the national program for current and future generations.
Jennifer Gaddis is an assistant professor of civil society and community studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of “The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools.”
Janet M. Wright: UW Hospital Board members should experience direct service staff’s jobs
Letter to the editor: I would suggest that the Board members make a point of regularly shadowing the direct service staff — nurses, social workers, CNAs, respiratory therapists, etc. — to get a clear picture of what their shifts look like.
Elena Haasl: Dane County needs compassionate homelessness solutions
Letter to the editor: When I came to UW-Madison in 2018 as a freshman, I was excited to experience the vibrancy of the State Street area and to embrace the city I would now call home. However, like many new students, I quickly realized that homelessness is a serious issue on campus and in downtown Madison. But homelessness is not an issue confined solely to State Street.
Plain Talk: Donna Shalala was always good to Wisconsin
I’ve always regarded Shalala as one of my favorite academicians of all time. She made numerous positive changes during her years at the UW, putting a new emphasis on undergraduate study and expanding the university’s national clout, helping the school draw tens of millions in research grants.
Ani Weaver and Mary Jorgensen: UW Health nurses take a stand for quality patient care
Letter to the editor from Weaver and Jorgensen. Both are nurses for UW Health.
Michael McRobbie: While candidates posture on student loan debt, Midwestern universities are taking action to relieve it
Column by McRobbie, president of Indiana University and chair of the Association of American Universities Board of Directors: president.iu.edu.
Carolyn Stanford Taylor: Partnering with business helps Wisconsin schools succeed
Column by Carolyn Stanford Taylor, Department of Public Instruction superintendent and member of the UW System Board of Regents.
Student phone numbers are sensitive information and should be protected under FERPA
Public availability of phone numbers today is most certainly harmful and puts students’ privacy at risk, thus endangering students and preventing them from making the most of the opportunities afforded to them on campus with a clear mind.
Commentary: While candidates posture on student loan debt, Midwestern universities are taking action to relieve it
Column by Michael McRobbie, president of Indiana University and chair of the Association of American Universities Board of Directors.
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria: Child opportunity is our opportunity
Column by Dr. Navsaria, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
Should We Alter the Human Genome? Let Democracy Decide
Humankind needs greater scientific and moral clarity on germline genome editing. Achieving it requires inclusive, international, democratic deliberation, supported by our democratic institutions.
Dr. Emily Buttigieg: Wisconsin should treat abortion as health care, not a crime
Letter to the editor from Dr. Emily Buttigieg, a third-year ob-gyn resident at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
We’re trying to keep the Galapagos pristine. That might destroy them.
Visiting the Galapagos Islands — which have long been considered Charles Darwin’s natural laboratory — is like stepping into a nature documentary. You can snorkel with playful sea lions, watch “Darwin’s finches” feed and inch up to ancient giant tortoises.
Elizabeth Hennessy is an assistant professor of history and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and the author of “On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galápagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary Eden.”
Jeffrey Sommers: Wisconsin needs another Dane County — and Milwaukee’s research institutions can help
Column: As one of just over 100 Tier 1 institutions in all the U.S., UW-Milwaukee could be our state’s second driver of enterprise and innovation. The problem is UW-Milwaukee is underfunded by any reasonable metric.
Jessie Opoien: Informed consent bill for pelvic exams gets welcome bipartisan support
It’s not every day that you find Andre Jacque, Lena Taylor, Janel Brandtjen and Chris Taylor on the same side of a reproductive health issue.
UW Hospital is leader in organ transplants — Camille Haney
The State Journal’s Dec. 25 article “Kindness of strangers,” about non-directed organ donation, highlighted another example of UW Hospital’s national leadership in organ donation and transplantation.
Plain Talk: Despite the gloom, there’s good news at the University of Wisconsin
“Your column is grumpy about the situation at the UW,” (Regent Whitburn) remarked. And while he admitted he didn’t “like the sniping that we face,” he made it clear there is still plenty to brag about the Madison campus
Letter: Poor treatment of grad students rampant
John Brady’s experience is not unique. His experience resulted from a systemic problem, not a problem limited to one professor/researcher or one department.