Mayer’s choice to include this background information about our current president is not a product of his own bias — it is rather the product of an awareness that our current political moment is unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Category: Opinion
Hawks: ‘The Goodness Paradox’ Review: Good Breeding
An anthropologist at Harvard University, Richard Wrangham is no stranger to wild animals. His long fieldwork with wild chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest of Uganda, and other African field sites, has done much to help scientists see the role of aggression and violence in our close relatives.
Colleges have been under pressure to admit needier kids. It’s backfiring.
By national standards, for instance, Wisconsin has few people who are either very poor or very rich. As a result, the University of Wisconsin looks bad on national income mobility rankings, even though it enrolls a lot of students from the lower end of the state’s own income distribution.
In Support of Campus Free-Speech, Not Conservative Safe Spaces
From my reading, Professor Mayer gave a concise snapshot of the Trump presidency from competing views and then a brief history to help explain why some have been critical of the president.
Diversity and efficiency go hand-in-hand in nature, health, and on the farm
Diversity simply means “a range of different things.” It was not long ago when our Wisconsin farms, while largely centered on dairy production, were typically also home to chickens, hogs, and sheep. These other enterprises may have been minor, but they provided a level of insurance when dairy proved less than profitable.
Tom Still: Research fuels UW
The annual report by the National Science Foundation on research and development spending by U.S. colleges and universities confirmed what many people already know: The UW-Madison is a powerhouse when it comes to attracting R&D dollars.
The shutdown is Trump’s ultimate attack on American intellectual life
Today marks day 33 of the government shutdown. Some 380,00 government employees are furloughed, and an additional 420,000 are required to work without pay, with many of them pressed to find temporary jobs, start GoFundMe pages or hawk their personal possessions.
Letter to the Editor: A response to Econ 101 from Chancellor Rebecca Blank
John Roach’s recent column [“Econ 101,” January 2019] claimed that UW–Madison is inaccessible to all but the wealthy due to tuition increases and high student debt. This is a persistent myth that causes many students to wrongly assume that UW–Madison is beyond their reach.
Yellowstone is in our hands
Just a few days ago, scientists with the University of Wisconsin-Madison issued a disturbing projection following a multiyear forest experiment: Expect the beloved forests of Yellowstone National Park to be replaced by grasslands sometime around mid-century.
Tom Still: Evers knows power of strong economy
Evers called out research and development, especially in the UW System, as a priority tied to the state’s entrepreneurial economy.
Bright Ideas 2019: Step up flood preparedness
Noted:
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria: A proposal for Tony Evers: Focus on first 1,000 days
Noted: Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, FAAP, is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and also holds master’s degrees in public health and children’s librarianship.
How expanding Medicaid could help treat Wisconsin’s opioid epidemic
Noted: Annie Stumpf is a medical student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
Roach: Econ 101 Leaders of the UW–Stevens Point made seismic waves
It’s not often that folks in Madison pay attention to the happenings in Stevens Point, but this past month was different. Just 109.5 miles north of Madison, the leaders of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point made seismic waves that registered an 8.2 on the higher education Richter Scale. The aftershocks were surely felt on the Madison campus.
UW played key role in Apollo mission — Michael R. Anderson
Letter to the editor: Two UW professors were key investigators who carried out research for NASA. Geology professor Eugene N. Cameron studied the mineral composition of the rocks to evaluate the conditions and processes of rock formation on the moon. Chemistry professor Larry A. Haskin was interested in the trace elements found in the rocks.
Florence Bernault: Régime du faux et résistance, le Gabon d’Ali Bongo
Depuis le 24 octobre 2018, le Gabon retient son souffle, accroché aux péripéties d’un gouvernement affaibli par l’accident vasculaire cérébral dont a été victime le Président Ali Bongo Ondimba (alias «ABO»). Pendant que celui-ci est hospitalisé à Riyad (Arabie saoudite), le gouvernement se tait, avant de déclarer, le 28 octobre, que le chef de l’État souffre d’une «fatigue légère».
Tom Still: Let’s agree on state’s needs for economic vitality
A report in June 2018 by the UW-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty showed the overall state poverty rate climbed to 10.8 percent in 2016, with some wide geographic fluctuations.
Why John Roberts Should Have Listened to John Marshall
Noted: David Schwartz is a professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and author of a forthcoming book about the history of McCulloch v. Maryland.
Questionable decision-making in UW System
There have been a number of questionable decisions coming out of the University of Wisconsin System in recent weeks.
Neil Kraus: Meaningful campus-community connections require some difficult, yet obvious, questions
Column by Neil Kraus, professor and chair of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls political science department
The World’s First Space Telescope – Scientific American Blog Network
In July 1958, an astronomer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison named Arthur “Art” Code received a telegram from the fledgling Space Science Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The agency wanted to know what he and his colleagues would do if given the opportunity to launch into Earth’s orbit an instrument weighing up to 100 pounds. Code, newly-minted director of the University’s Washburn Observatory, had something in mind. Fifty years ago, on December 7, 1968, that idea culminated in NASA’s launch of the first successful space-based observatory: the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, or OAO-2.
Research roundup: What does the evidence say about how to fight the opioid epidemic?
Noted: Article co-written by Anita Mukherjee of the Wisconsin School of Business.
One hundred and fifteen people die each day due to an opioid overdose in the United States. Policymakers have tried many approaches to reduce this mortality rate, and researchers have been studying their effects. This post summarizes recent research on how to reduce opioid abuse and opioid-related mortality. What have we learned so far?
John Nichols: Tony Evers is already renewing Wisconsin Idea
The Evers standard was particularly notable last Thursday, when the state superintendent of public instruction attended his last meeting as a member of the UW Board of Regents. Gracious and good-humored, Evers acknowledged that he had often disagreed with outgoing Gov. Scott Walker’s appointees to the board and added “there’s nothing wrong with that in a democracy.”
Column: Anti-Semitism on campus must be dealt with proactively, at the source
Though anti-Semitism among students manifests itself in graffiti or harassment, it finds a stable home online.
A Campus Free-Speech Dustup With No Conservatives
The University of Wisconsin’s new policy protecting free speech is about to be put to a test thanks to a brouhaha over a campus speaker. But it isn’t students who feel triggered and are raising a stink—it’s the university system president, Ray Cross, who claims to be a protector of free speech.
Michael W. Wagner: It’s up to the people to save democracy in Wisconsin
Column by Wagner, associate professor and Louis A. Maier Faculty Development Fellow in the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Wisconsin Republicans are trying to subvert the will of the voters. They’re part of a larger trend.
Wisconsin Republicans endured a tough election last month, losing all major statewide offices. In response, the lame-duck legislators are calling a so-called extraordinary session. Their agenda? To make it harder for citizens to vote and to strip away powers from newly elected Democratic officials.
–Donald P. Moynihan is the McCourt chair at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. He served as a professor of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Madison from 2005 to 2018.
Ryan J. Owens: Wisconsin’s leaders should work together on three issues
Tommy Thompson used to say: “Good policy makes for good politics.” How right he was. He worked to generate common sense reforms, and he produced results for Wisconsin.
Dr. Dipesh Navsaria: Gun violence is in my lane — and in yours too
Column by Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
What public universities must do to regain public support
Column by Stephen M Gavazzi of Ohio State University.
Don’t hype stem-cell discoveries — Eric A. Johnson
Letter to the editor: The State Journal recently published several articles and an editorial asserting that UW-Madison is the epicenter of the discovery of stem cells and their utility in medicine. This representation is far from the truth, and several laboratories worldwide have been active in stem-cell research for many years prior to UW-Madison’s culture of embryonic stem cells in 1998.
Cross wrong to reprimand chancellor — Michael Collins
Letter to the editor: University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross is reprimanding UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow for retaining an adult film actress as a campus speaker. President Cross may feel like he has punched his politically correct dance card, but reality speaks otherwise.
Ryan J. Owens: Wisconsin’s leaders should work together on three issues
Noted: Owens is a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is the director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.
Column: UW students deserve a week off for Thanksgiving break
Limiting Thanksgiving break inconveniences staff, students, while adding little of value.
Column: Funding of UW-La Crosse pornography lecture matter of addiction, not free speech
Though free expression argument is superficially compelling, context must be taken into account.
Evers should restore UW Extension — Bob Hunt
Another priority of Gov.-elect Tony Evers should be to restore funding for UW Extension, which was cut by Gov. Scott Walker. The UW Extension is the most visible means of the Wisconsin Idea being put to work.
The University of Wisconsin System’s proposal to cut programs that confer few degrees is wrongheaded (opinion)
The elimination of majors in Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Japanese at some University of Wisconsin System campuses, a step not hard to imagine given recent announcements from UW Stevens Point, would deprive Wisconsin businesses of a supply of intercultural experts to help inform the shaping of trade relations.
Tom Still: Wisconsin R&D figures reflect strengths – and some challenges
The annual report by the National Science Foundation on research and development spending by U.S. colleges and universities confirmed what many people already know: The UW-Madison is a powerhouse when it comes to attracting R&D dollars.
Editorial: Michael Leckrone represents the spirit of UW-Madison
Leckrone has changed the lives of students in his band, delighted millions of fans and entertained anyone within earshot for a half a century. And he’s done it with passion and style and class.
Editorial: Michael Leckrone represents the spirit of UW-Madison
Leckrone has changed the lives of students in his band, delighted millions of fans and entertained anyone within earshot for a half a century. And he’s done it with passion and style and class. We want to thank him and wish him as much joy in retirement as he brought to us all these years.
Michael Bloomberg: Why I’m Giving $1.8 Billion for College Financial Aid
Here’s a simple idea I bet most Americans agree with: No qualified high school student should ever be barred entrance to a college based on his or her family’s bank account. Yet it happens all the time.
UW Regent Bob Atwell: Porn forum at UW-L is a horrible example of free expression
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow recently apologized for his naivety about the media coverage of his decision to pay $5,000 of public money to porn star Nina Hartley to give a talk on campus.
David W. Olien: Fewer state grads isn’t UW’s only problem
I appreciated the State Journal’s thoughtful article, “Colleges marketing to fewer state graduates,” about the challenges of the demographic downturn facing Wisconsin. But I think the Nov. 2 front-page piece missed several important points.
Column: Voter ID laws unfairly impact students
My experience as a first-time polling volunteer confirmed my belief that the system by which the state of Wisconsin and many other states goes by is burdensome. It demonstrated to me that voter suppression efforts continue to exist and remain hugely problematic.
Penalize foul-mouthed Badgers fans — Bob Petersen
Going to Badgers football games over many years, it has been disturbing and embarrassing to have to listen to the UW-Madison student section doing their very improper profane chant back and forth between their sections numerous times during the game.
Column: As trans, non-binary identities are threatened, UW students must remain allies
Though Trump wants to invalidate transgender and non-binary people, we must make campus welcoming to all.
Tom Still: Inside Wisconsin Improving academic research payoff requires people and facilities
A few years ago, University of Wisconsin System schools were being “poached” by other universities that tried to take advantage of budget cuts and the perception that UW tenure had been eroded. As UW-Madison Engineering Dean Ian Robertson told members of his advisory boards Oct. 19, the tide has turned. More young professors and researchers are being recruited at his college.
Early Voting by Democrats Is Higher
Madison has been a leader in early voting efforts, with 14 places where early voting can be done, including all nine of Madison’s public libraries, and at Edgewood College and UW-Madison Union South.
Column: While important, there are better ways to impact change than through voting
Like its seasonal counterpart Freakfest, VoteFest is another method of control on public activity.
Column: The real purpose of our student government
In a recent Badger Herald opinion piece, a UW student criticized The Associated Students of Madison’s advisory role in the University, arguing that it does not have legitimate power because of a lack of direct enforcement capabilities. This argument promotes a fundamental misunderstanding of both the purpose and the structure of ASM.
Column: Traditional midterms are more beneficial than students realize
Despite negative stressors exams tend to bring, valuable resilience can be gained from traditional forms of testing.
UW System: A Positive Investment
We know some people are questioning the value of a higher education. But the data is indisputable: an investment in the University of Wisconsin System is an investment in Wisconsin.
Letter to the Editor: ASM’s purpose is more nuanced than students believe
Equating Student Council to ASM is an uninformed interpretation of UW’s official student government.
Why Public Universities Are Getting Shortchanged
Over the past decade, state government funding of higher education in the U.S. has fallen by $7 billion after inflation. The implications include increased tuition, which has received much public attention, but also a reduction in the relative quality of public higher education, which has gone largely unnoticed.
Column: Expanded WiscAlerts system brings much-needed addition to campus safety
Battle over jurisdictions doesn’t change importance of student safety.
Column: Lack of affordable student parking disadvantages low-income students
Though lack of affordable student parking is inconvenient for all, it further harms already struggling students.
Column: ASM lacks legitimacy, power of real legislative body
By ignoring foundational problems of ASM, we limit opportunities for effective shared governance on campus.
Editorial: Doing something about sexual assault at UW-Madison
One thing we know for certain about the sexual assault crisis in our culture is that the only acceptable response is to do something about it.
Column: Kanye, Bruh … We Don’t Need Another Uncle Ruckus
Gloria Ladson-Billings, the Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin, weighs in on Kanye West.
Column: UW ought to hold off on Title IX investigation until Cephus’ criminal trial concludes
Cephus is suing Board of Regents, UW administrators on violation of fifth amendment rights.