Letter to the editor: The University of Wisconsin is a vital resource for all Wisconsinites. Through educating our citizens and conducting important research, the university lays the foundation for a bright future for Wisconsin. While doing so, it creates thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of income. But because of budget cuts over the past decades, it has become increasingly difficult for young people to afford a UW education, and the university has slipped out of the top five research institutions in the country. To secure Wisconsin’s future, more money must be allocated to the University of Wisconsin.
Category: Opinion
Missteps on both sides of divestment legislation must be addressed
Letter to the Editor: Speakers at open forum resorting to personal attacks distracted from productive dialogue
Eleni Schirmer: Poetry is not a luxury, not even for Serena Williams
Serena Williams knows the power of language. She understands the brawn of a single word, the chasm between being anointed “greatest of all time” and “greatest female of all time.” This linguistic perception extends beyond defense of her titles; it’s part of how Williams moves in the world.
Tom Loftus: UW doesn’t need state law to ensure free speech
Letter to the editor from former ambassador to Norway, Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly and member of the UW Board of Regents.
Carolynn Dude: Axing family planning rotation would mean substandard training for UW docs
By taking away UW’s family planning rotation, Jacque and Kapenga would be ensuring that OB/GYNs who train in Wisconsin are receiving substandard training. I urge every one of their constituents to let them know that the women of Wisconsin deserve better.
Letter to the Editor: Context is essential to understanding scope of student research on code meshing in schools
Letter intended to help readers better understand the genesis of Erika Gallagher’s research paper, its methodology, and its aims.
Michael Reeser: Campuses should be bastions of freedom of expression
Letter to the editor: It strikes me as very disturbing to see what should be bastions of liberal thinking and freedom of expression turn into conservative, censored, restrictive quagmires.
‘I had no idea’: Sexual assault awareness begins on campuses
I had no idea. You might not either.
UW College Republicans: Let’s review just how terrible ‘Obamacare’ really was
Skyrocketing premiums, lack of choice in insurance leave Americans with less than they deserve.
Kelleher: How Judge Gorsuch’s views on “natural law” could shape his opinions on the Supreme Court
As the confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch were getting underway, the University of Wisconsin philosopher J. Paul Kelleher explored, in Vox, an important aspect of Gorsuch’s view of the world. Gorsuch has praised the late Justice Scalia’s “originalist” approach to interpreting the Constitution. But he has also been influenced by the concept of “natural law” — and even studied under a famous natural law theorist at Oxford. In this excerpt from that Vox piece, Kelleher explains natural law theory, and why it’s important for the senators voting on Gorsuch to consider its implications:
Fontes: The American Dream Meets a Central American Nightmare
It is an unprecedented time in a nation’s political history. A neophyte politician — a man famous for lowbrow TV antics who has never held political office — is vying to become president. He feeds on simmering discontent about the corruption of the political establishment and mainstream politicians. Backed by extreme right-wing elements, he makes vague promises and trumpets his lack of political experience as a reason to vote for him. His competition is a former first lady married to a left-leaning ex-president. She is an altogether polarizing figure considered by a large portion of the electorate to be deeply corrupt.
Andrew Merluzzi: Trump to cut research on diseases he calls ‘horrible’
Column by Andrew Merluzzi, a Ph.D./MPA candidate in neuroscience and public policy at UW-Madison.
McCoy: The bloodstained rise of global populism
In 2016, something extraordinary happened in the politics of diverse countries around the world. With surprising speed and simultaneity, a new generation of populist leaders emerged from the margins of nominally democratic nations to win power. In doing so, they gave voice, often in virulent fashion, to public concerns about the social costs of globalization.
W. Nathan Green: Microfinance and poverty
On March 13, the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) announced that it will cap interest rates on microfinance loans at 18 percent per year starting April 1 in order to help growing numbers of Cambodians struggling with over-indebtedness. After this announcement, leaders and experts of the microfinance industry responded that this government intervention is merely a political gesture that will backfire and hurt the rural poor even more.
Gov. Scott Walker: Invest in student success and a strong workforce
Column by Wisconsin governor on his budget proposal, touting “More money into our technical college system than ever before” and “Over $100 million more into our University of Wisconsin System.”
Letter to the editor: UHS prioritizes mental health
The mental health and well-being of our campus community is a top priority of University Health Services (UHS). We are continuously working to improve access to the services students need.
Editorial: We need to end silence on sexual assault epidemic
Our sexual assault agenda item is another issue that could be affected by budget decisions here and in Washington. In particular we’re concerned about a Walker budget proposal that could result in cuts to the services the Rape Crisis Center offers on the UW-Madison campus.
Edsall: When the President Is Ignorant of His Own Ignorance
Quoted: “President Trump seems to have no awareness whatsoever of what he does and does not know,” Steven Nadler, a professor of philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, wrote me. “He is ignorant of his own ignorance.”
Finding school-life balance remains vital
One of the biggest things college kids have to adjust to is the need for more effective time management skills.
Editorial: The Trump Administration’s War on Science
“Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people,” President Trump said in his speech to Congress last month, after summoning a list of technological triumphs from America’s past. “Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us,” and “American footprints on distant worlds.”
For a stronger economy and national security, don’t cut science
With his proposed cuts in federal research and development spending, President Donald Trump risks harming a priority he puts at the top of his own list – national security.
Carpenter: How to Protect our Disappearing Bumble Bees
On March 21, the rusty-patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis, officially became the first bumble bee listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. This designation recognizes this important pollinator’s precarious position in the face of multiple threats to its survival. It also provides some of the tools necessary to begin to reverse its decline.
Susan Carpenter: How to Protect our Disappearing Bumble Bees
On March 21, the rusty-patched bumble bee, Bombus affinis, officially became the first bumble bee listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. We must take action now to prevent the extinction of the rusty-patched and other imperiled bumble bees and foster native pollinators to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy ecosystems. It is still found in southern Wisconsin, including at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum, where our restored prairies, savannas, and woodlands provide the diverse native plant habitat they need to survive.
Impact of UW research, teaching on state’s economy cannot be overstated
Editorial: [T]he impact of UW research and teaching on the state’s economy cannot be overstated. But it all requires resources and investment. Let’s not put UW’s best at unnecessary risk.
Start on career path with UW Colleges
Students at UW-Marshfield/Wood County and those at our 12 other campuses in the state want a smaller, more personal educational environment to start, with University of Wisconsin coursework taught by University of Wisconsin teachers. Some want to get acclimated to college and learn better study habits. Some want to get more hands-on help to ensure success in their careers. Others want the reassurance of an environment where they won’t get lost.
Kelleher: Neil Gorsuch’s “natural law” philosophy is a long way from Justice Scalia’s originalism
When Antonin Scalia’s death was announced, Neil Gorsuch was on the ski slope. Checking his phone halfway down the hill, tears welled up as he read the news, he has said. According to Gorsuch, who is President Trump’s nominee to replace Scalia on the Supreme Court, Scalia was “a lion of the law” whose judicial philosophy was exactly right: A judge must apply the law as it is, and never as the judge prefers it to be.
Diversity initiatives at UW have a long way to go
Letter to the editor: As a freshmen in the fall of 2015, I did not anticipate encountering so many issues related to diversity on the University of Wisconsin campus. Having grown up in a predominately white town in Wisconsin, I was excited to come to a university that people and advertisements told me was very diverse. Little did I know that when trying to navigate this large university, campus sometimes can feel unwelcoming to minority students.
Choosing to opt out of segregated fees endangers our sexual health resources
Allocable segregated fees—the approximately $90 each UW-Madison student pays along with their tuition every year—go toward funding many clubs, resources and services across campus. However, according to the new budget proposal from Gov. Scott Walker, these fees will be made optional for students. While saving money may sound appealing, the loss of segregated fee income could be catastrophic for our campus community.
A cultural shift is required to fix or change rape culture
Rape and the fear of rape is a part of the American college experience for women. On American college campuses, one in four undergraduate women will be sexually assaulted or raped by the time they graduate. Indicated by UW-Madison’s Association of American Universities Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Assault Climate Survey, our precious UW-Madison is no exception, with 27.6 percent of undergraduate female students reporting experiencing nonconsensual penetration or sexual touching.
William Cox: Debunking The ‘Gaydar’ Myth
Kids are often told that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Even so, people often believe they can rely on their gut to intuit things about other people. Stereotypes often influence these impressions, whether it’s that a black man is dangerous, a woman won’t be a good leader or a fashionable man is gay.
Wisconsin men’s basketball: Nigel Hayes to leave lasting legacy after senior season
Nigel Hayes is a name that will be remembered on the UW-Madison campus for years to come. A hard working, charming and bright young man, Hayes has made a lasting impact both on and off the court during his four years at Wisconsin. Entering tonight’s tournament game vs. Virginia Tech, Nigel will know that it could be his last game as a Badger. Whether Hayes walks off the court a winner or loser, boasting a great performance or not, every Badger fan ought to appreciate the things he has done during his time in Madison.
Debunking the ‘gaydar’ myth
Column by William Cox, Assistant Scientist, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jeffrey S. Russell: Lessons in listening for UW-Madison
Column by Jeffrey S. Russell, dean of the UW-Madison Division of Continuing Studies.
ASM’s ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ legislation is justified, but unreasonable
For a student government so avowedly committed to creating a welcoming campus atmosphere for students of color, this legislation may be a counterproductive move. Black students already experience some measure of harassment because of stereotypes surrounding race, affirmative action and scholarship money. Imagine the hostility they as a group would face if every black student did not pay tuition, and nearly every white student did.
Paul Fanlund: Defending science, without picking fights
The city’s University of Wisconsin campus has more than 1,200 faculty in the biological and physical sciences, plus an uncounted number of academic and university staff who are scientists, according to UW spokeswoman Meredith McGlone. And as of last fall, there were more than 19,000 students, including graduate students, in those sciences out of a total of some 43,000. These days, it occurs to me that most of those scientists and science students might be inclined to take to the streets.
Patz: Climate change and chronic disease: twin perils and a golden opportunity to solve both
The global climate crisis presents enormous challenges to our current high-energy consuming lifestyle. Or does it?
Teaching how to do research takes time — Robert Greenler
Letter to the editor: Students don’t come to a program understanding how to do research. Research involves many challenging skills, such as collecting and interpreting data, writing and presenting reports, publishing the results, getting funding for research, and identifying commercial possibilities. All this is learned only by a student’s active participation in the research process.
Opt out clause proves once again Walker doesn’t value UW students
Gov. Scott Walker has done it again. This man continues to attack the University of Wisconsin System, interfering with business that should not be messed with. If the $250 million in cuts to the UW System in the 2015 budget weren’t enough, he now wants the UW System to allow students to opt out of allocable segregated fees, which will have detrimental effects on our schools.
Jeffrey Tambor: It all started in Milwaukee
Noted: Now in “Transparent,” I’m still putting lessons learned at the Rep to work on the show. I also can’t seem to get away from people with connections to the Badger State. I’ve reunited with Judith, and our cast includes two graduates of UW-Madison, Jill Soloway and Amy Landecker, as well as Madison native Brad Whitford. Now if they’d only bring brats and cheese curds to the set, I’d be one happy guy!
Crime warning emails perpetuate racism and negative stereotypes
On Feb. 27, UW-Madison community members received a familiar “Timely Warning” email that highlighted the ongoing threat of burglary on campus. UW-Madison is obligated to send these emails under the Clery Act, which requires campuses to report specific crimes, such as homicide, sexual offenses and robbery. While these emails often describe the alleged perpetrator, rarely do they include identifying photographs like the one circulated on Monday.
UW System Needs More Funding
We are all doing well in our golden years and enjoying our retirements; two here in Wisconsin and one in Illinois. I can unequivocally state that the reason why we are doing well is the education we received from this great university.
Miller: Stop attacking the Wisconsin Idea
For 43 years, I have been a proud alumnus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Funding for Rape Crisis Center should not be jeopardized
We’re sure Gov. Scott Walker did not mean for students at the UW to lose their access to services if they are sexually assaulted when he proposed allowing students to opt out of some segregated fees.
Letter to the Editor: Optional allocable fees will harm UW education
While these allocable segregated fees are only 17 percent of the total of segregated fees students pay, amounting to $88.98 per student each semester, according to UW’s Office of the Registrar, these fees fund a multitude of on-campus services. These services include, but are not limited to: the bus pass, the Rape Crisis Center, Tenant Resource Center, Badger Catholic, Sex Out Loud, SPILL, VETS Support, GUTS Tutoring and various grants for student org operations.
Nichols, Brannon: Help kids succeed before they get to college
The University of Wisconsin System is supposed to be one of the state’s most effective paths to helping children of lower- and working-class households join the middle class. Unfortunately, it’s not working out that way.
Latest UWPD crime email puts target on black student’s backs
Members of the University of Wisconsin community received a familiar crime warning email Monday describing an ongoing string of on-campus burglaries involving electronics and credit cards … Those who opened the email, however, may have been surprised that in addition to the usual description and location of the crime and a vague description of any suspects involved in the case, this particular email also included photos of the suspects — two young black men.
Don’t fault star UW professors for concentrating on research
UW-Madison professor of virology Yoshihiro Kawaoka doesn’t teach classes on campus.
Virginia Huber: Professors went above and beyond to help me learn
Letter to the editor: I attended UW-Madison’s art department half-time for four years (1975-79), to earn a BS in art. During that time, without exception, every professor made time for me during office hours to answer questions. Two professors did extended independent studies with me. There was no way they could have been paid for those many one-on-one contact hours other than feeling the satisfaction of helping this student to a greater depth of learning. I am grateful to them to this day!
UW Housing needs to increase pay in order to retain employees
As soon as prospective students are admitted to UW-Madison, they begin the housing application process. Along with this process, students are highly encouraged to apply for a student job on campus. These jobs are presented as being conveniently located, with flexible hours and a great way to make friends and connections. While all of this may be true, there is one major detriment to working for the university: the pay.
Academics, not athletics, should define UW
What’s so weird about it is it feels like our athletic programs are all on the rise and our academic programs are either stuck in the same place or in decline.
Pregont: It’s time to reinvest in the University of Wisconsin
There are many reasons that Prent Corp., founded 50 years ago by my father in Janesville, has grown into the world’s leading designer and producer of custom thermoformed packages for the medical device industry. I can honestly say, however, that without the contributions by our employees, our company would not have been able to achieve the success that we have enjoyed in these five decades.
Richard Schickel, Critic and Filmmaker, Dies at 84
Mr. Schickel graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1955 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and moved to New York, where he freelanced for magazines and reviewed his first film, “Sammy Going South,” starring Edward G. Robinson, in 1963.
Rough and Tumble of Sifting and Winnowing
The governor’s companion budget bill calls on the UW Board of Regents and the campuses across the state to “guarantee all members of the System’s community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn.”
Walker should leave UW fees alone — Margaret Sherman
Gov. Scott Walker’s latest attempt to micro-manage UW-Madison has hit a new low. Now Gov. Walker wants to meddle with student fees.
Journal Times editorial: The rough and tumble of sifting and winnowing
In a small piece of the proposed state budget, Gov. Scott Walker has earmarked $10,000 for the University of Wisconsin System for “codifying the state’s commitment to academic freedom” and wants the System to protect offensive speech.
John Reindl: Opt out of fees? Apply that to taxes too
Letter to the editor: I think that Gov. Scott Walker has an excellent idea to allow UW-Madison students to opt out of allocable student fees, but only if Wisconsin taxpayers are also allowed to opt out of paying taxes for those programs that they disagree with.
David Pettersen: Thanks, Tommy Thompson, for your strong UW support
Letter to the editor: As a political independent and current student, I am grateful for those that have made these efforts possible, which includes countless Democrats and Republicans who have worked together over the years. One may not always agree with his politics, but former Gov. Tommy Thompson invested in UW as governor — and his recent video offering his support of our grand university is proof that he cares deeply about helping bridge the divide between the state and the university. For that, the ol’ Badger deserves bipartisan praise.
Dennis Lloyd: I’ll take “Sifting and Winnowing” for $1000, Alex
Last year, I appeared as a contestant on Jeopardy! I came in third. Which sounds pretty good if you ignore the fact that the game is played with only three contestants. Unless you also bear in mind that more than 70,000 took the online test last year — the first step in getting onto the show. Only about 450 new players appear on air each season, which still put me in the top 0.65% — an unheard-of acceptance rate in the field of scholarly publishing, where I’ve worked for the past two decades.
Ryan Owens: Neil Gorsuch could be the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court
Last week, President Trump pleased conservatives when he nominated Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. He looks to have made good on his promise to appoint a conservative justice to the Court. Court watchers are now left to wonder: how conservative will Gorsuch be? Our analysis suggests that if confirmed, Gorsuch might be the most conservative justice on the Supreme Court.
Editorial: Lawmakers have some work to do on state budget
In his final state budget before facing another election, Gov. Scott Walker is proposing significant investment in Wisconsin’s public schools and universities.That’s a welcome change from his past state spending plans that cut funding for K-12 and higher education by hundreds of millions of dollars.