We need to talk. No, no, this has nothing to do with what Student Council did. Yeah, I heard about Barack’s interview, but that’s not the issue here. No, it’s not Walker either. Just listen! Badger Herald, … I’m leaving you. … It’s over. Don’t get me wrong; Things have… Read more »

As Ryan said in his column, I’m becoming managing editor next semester. So this farewell isn’t a farewell like others on the page today. I’m not graduating, and I’m not done writing columns. Well, not really. I intend to pressure Reggie to let me off writing as much as possible… Read more »

What a joy it has been to be a conservative at the University of Wisconsin and, for the past year, being able to bring some much-needed right-wing ideology to the voice of The Badger Herald Editorial Board and the pages of the Opinion section. When I told my family I… Read more »

In a Monday conference with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, a panel of experts discussed the achievement gap, an issue that has caused a great deal of debate and turmoil in America for decades. According to the New York Times, in the past it has been thought to be… Read more »

Long before I penned my first opinion column for The Badger Herald, I recognized the importance of having an opinion. I have never hesitated to speak my mind when it comes to matters I feel strongly about, regardless of how trivial they may seem to others. However, my experience writing… Read more »

Hello all, I’m hesitant to write a farewell column, because I haven’t officially graduated. I still need to pass a required gym class, which is somewhat iffy for me. But, at the risk of angering the physical education gods, I’d like to take the time to thank those who have… Read more »

To say that political rhetoric has been heating up over the past several years would be a massive understatement. As the differences between the two parties have grown greater in number, the language used by both has grown stronger. This, in and of itself, is not inherently bad. However, this heated… Read more »

On Saturday, thousands of students gathered at the Mifflin Street Block Party before the dark clouds of finals descend upon us. Some negative responses have been surfacing about Saturday. Police Chief Noble Wray told the Wisconsin State Journal he didn’t “think in any measure this could be considered a success.”… Read more »

So this is my last article of the year. It has been interesting, as always, and I want to leave with a simple message: Go vote. Today is the Democratic primary, and I have already endorsed Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett as the candidate needed to take on Gov. Scott Walker.… Read more »

The net effect of Wisconsin’s ongoing recall process has been a deepening of political divisions along party lines. Since last February, the state has been involved in a constant political debate — protests led to a petition drive, and recall elections this fall will mark the end of a year… Read more »

This column is in response to Hannah Sleznikow’s recent column titled, “Safety concerns outweigh rights to bear arms.” On the Constitution being a “living document:” This is only true in the sense it is in full force today and can be formally amended. However, it cannot simply be reinterpreted based on… Read more »

On Saturday, in the shadowy recesses of the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba, the trials of five alleged Sept. 11 conspirators resumed three years after the Obama administration attempted to bring them to civilian court in New York. After fierce opposition to the civilian trial, which was to be… Read more »

Once again the petitions are being signed for another recall election to take place. This recall, however, is the first to take place that is not in response to the events that took place here in Wisconsin back in February 2011. State Sen. Bob Jauch, a Democratic senator from Poplar,… Read more »

In the world of higher education, the merit of a liberal arts education is in question. From an English major to a philosophy major and everything in between, the question that surrounds the liberal arts approach to education remains: What can you do with it? How can a liberal arts… Read more »

What does it mean to be a “fake” politician? I have to think that Machiavelli did not envision this when he wrote “The Prince.” The Republican Party of Wisconsin has managed to field six of their own to run as Democrats in primaries across the state this year. Initially, their… Read more »

Leadership is not a quality easily taught; it’s just not for everybody. The fact is though, all too often those not suited for leadership are thrust into the role. This column is not about those people. This column is about the people who had the potential to do great things… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker released a $100 million initiative to revitalize Milwaukee’s troubled economy. As of February, Milwaukee has a 10.5 percent rate of unemployment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and is in need of efforts to get its economy back on track. This is a noble effort to… Read more »

There are a few important, useful buzzwords I’ve learned as an undergraduate at a liberal arts institution, with “privilege,” “diversity” and “segregated fees” being a few. But another important one I’ve picked up is the importance of being “sex-positive,” or to not shame or limit the ability of others to… Read more »

Since moving here from the Chicago suburbs last fall, I’ve become accustomed to most of Wisconsin’s quirks. I’m no longer fazed by the strange obsession with cheese. I accept that the Packers are a religion. I’ve gotten used to, and even come to enjoy, the constant political drama. However, I’m… Read more »

I’m sure by this time none of us find ourselves unfamiliar with the “Occupy” movement. Starting on Wall Street in New York City, the movement exists to protest against social inequality. Phrases such as “I am the 99 percent” run rampant, continuing the argument that the many suffer while the… Read more »

It’s Mifflin time again! I hope everyone enjoys this last chance of the semester to blow off steam with one of the University of Wisconsin’s best-known traditions. Oh, right, I forgot; we have rewritten the past few years of Mifflin history and turned it into the Drunkpacolypse that must be… Read more »

Founded as a protest to American involvement in the Vietnam War, the Mifflin Street Block Party has now devolved to the point where students feel like they’re fighting the power by calling out the poor production value of a YouTube clip. There is something pathetic about a generation that can’t… Read more »

Chemicals are cool, but they can be scary as well. After suffering through a year of general chemistry, I learned that some chemicals can be very useful in various industrial and biological processes and that some are toxic to humans. Unfortunately, some chemicals have both these properties — in particular,… Read more »

Large broadcasters will be required to post documentation of who is buying political ads and for how much in time for the 2012 presidential election after a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission Friday. But by limiting the new requirements to the four biggest networks in the top 50 markets,… Read more »

Gun control, by its very nature, is a contentious issue. Inscribed in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is the enumerated right for all American citizens to bear arms: “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to… Read more »

“Don’t go. Don’t go to that event.” These words will live in infamy, at least for the Mifflin Street Block Party 2012 cohort, thanks to Dean of Students Lori Berquam. The now famous video, posted online, removed and then reposted by some anonymous dark knight of Madison, features a concerned… Read more »

The Supreme Court of the United States is about to hear a case that may change the status quo on affirmative action. Fisher v. the University of Texas at Austin is going to be heard this term and may cause constitutional interpretations to be changed such that any form of… Read more »

If there’s anything liberals have done over the past few months, it’s complain they don’t have good enough candidates. Boo- hoo, Russ won’t run. Falk panders to unions. A race with Barrett is just a re-do. Vinehout who? And the state Senate recalls are a veritable who’s who of obscure… Read more »

The rhetoric surrounding Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to repeal the Equal Pay Law is inaccurate and misleading. What is actually an effort to reform tort law in Wisconsin is being framed as a “war on women” by Democratic gubernatorial candidates in order to gain the sympathies of the undecided voters… Read more »

Former Governor of Utah and United States Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, Jr., performed laughably in the Republican presidential primary race, dropping out in January after a lackluster showing in moderate New Hampshire, the state in which he had the best chance of coming away with a victory. Huntsman’s abysmal… Read more »

On April 25, 2012, students across the nation are gathering to mark “1TDay,” or $1 trillion day, as the total student debt now exceeds $1,000,000,000,000. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York report titled Grading Student Loans, “total debt on student loans easily surpasses total debt on credit… Read more »

With the recall primary two short weeks away and the ultimate battle looming a month later, the candidates are all in campaign mode. I’ve sat down to see how I think they are doing, and toss out some grades as the candidates take on the issues. Kathleen Falk: She attempted to… Read more »

During my nightly “West Wing” double feature ritual the other week, a line from one of Aaron Sorkin’s characters struck me as particularly interesting. Ainsley Hayes, the smart and conveniently good-looking Republican that is brought to work as at the legal office of the West Wing by the fictional Bartlett… Read more »

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson has made energy independence a recurring theme in his campaign for U.S. Senate. On his site, Thompson, a Republican, has outlined a plan to “Restore America,” which he claims would spur economic growth and make the country independent from foreign oil. The main objectives of… Read more »

The Equal Pay Enforcement Act became law in Wisconsin in July 2009 and was written much in response to the Supreme Court decision of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. In this court case, Lilly Ledbetter, a Goodyear employee, was being paid less than her male coworkers and decided to… Read more »

Last Saturday, hundreds of people attended a rally in Waukesha in opposition to a proposal by the Islamic Society of Milwaukee to build a mosque in the city, as reported by the Brookfield Patch. Anti-Islam sentiment has been seen across the United States over the last decade, but that this… Read more »

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Two centuries later, Benjamin Franklin’s evaluation of taxation in America remains astonishingly relevant. Our nation began as, and continues to represent, a land of freedom and opportunity. The popular notion of the American Dream as an… Read more »

The veepstakes have begun. Earlier this week, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney announced the search for his vice presidential nominee would be led by former chief of staff and confidante Beth Myers, as reported by The New York Times. With the general election in November likely to be close and… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin is increasing its spending on the Athletics Performance Center project by more than $9 million. The money, which comes from gift funds, will be used to renovate Camp Randall, build new lockers and other athletic facility changes. While I recognize the need for keeping up-to-date athletic… Read more »

Six years ago, the nation witnessed a case of unparalleled media negligence that resulted in the destruction of the lives of three young men. The Duke lacrosse case, in which three Duke University lacrosse players were investigated for the rape of a female college student, is an example in which… Read more »

When this whole mess started over a year ago, I was thrilled. I lived a block and a half from the biggest action in the state, thousands upon thousands of protestors circling the Capitol, genuine outrage, creative signage; what wasn’t to love? It was an exciting time to live in… Read more »

With the recall election only a few months away, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has decided to shake up the ballot by tossing his name into the ring. What was going to be a battle between former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Gov. Scott Walker will now likely turn out… Read more »

Conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Wisconsin people are passionate and the Wisconsin recall elections offer the people of this great state an opportunity for a creative, progressive pursuit: Let’s see how mean we can get. Let’s focus our time and energy to get nasty. I want to see unions… Read more »

Now that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has entered the ring, things are looking less promising for, well, just about everyone else. Dane County Executive and Democratic candidate Kathleen Falk is pissed, and Gov. Scott Walker has a little more reason to start looking through the classifieds. But especially, this means… Read more »

If a Democratic governor is elected and Democrats gain a majority in the Senate in recall elections this summer, much of the legislation Gov. Scott Walker has pushed will still be around for a while. I don’t like it and you might not like it, but that’s the reality. Collective… Read more »

Wisconsin politics was boring as hell in 2010. Tommy Thompson refused to run against Russ Feingold for the U.S. Senate. The tears streaming down the faces of Feingold’s supporters in Middleton became election night’s top story, and the symbolism behind Sen. Ron Johnson’s status as a “plastics manufacturer” was a… Read more »

According to Urban Dictionary, the definition of a “shit show” is as follows: “A description of an event or situation which is characterized by an [sic] ridiculously inordinate amount of frenetic activity. Disorganization and chaos to an absurd degree. Often associated with extreme ineptitude/incompetence and or sudden and unexpected failure”… Read more »

As spring rolls around and we in Madison start to venture outside for more fun in the sun, it’s important to remember that warm weather is hardly ubiquitous in its good-hearted nature. In fact, halfway across the world in Afghanistan, the spring brings violence and conflict as the local guerilla… Read more »

With the birth of the 20th century came a push for a change of the societal construct fueled by women. From the earliest days of the suffrage movement, women have steadily grown more and more equal to men in the eyes of the masses, but have not achieved total equality… Read more »

Welcome to Wisconsin, home of everyone’s favorite beer and brats. Ranked the eighth heaviest drinking state in the United States by CNBC, Wisconsin has a per capita consumption of 38.4 gallons and delivery totals of more than five million barrels per year of beer. As a state with a relatively… Read more »

Interim Chancellor David Ward acknowledged Monday that mediation with Adidas is moving slowly. The mediation began because an Indonesian subcontractor, PT Kizone, fired employees without severance pay. Labor activists have been clamoring for the University of Wisconsin to cut Adidas or at least put it on notice for termination. Before… Read more »

Is Gov. Scott Walker “more Nixonian than even Richard Nixon himself”? According to John Dean, the man who served as White House council to Nixon and who became a key witness for the prosecution during the Watergate trial, Walker is just that. In a two-part article for the legal analysis website… Read more »

In the wake of the tragic shootings of Trayvon Martin and Bo Morrison, questions have been raised of underlying racism in the use of deadly force and the legal proceedings that followed. This particularly hits home in Wisconsin, where recently passed concealed carry laws are hotly debated. Martin was walking… Read more »

The finite fossil fuel resources of earth, the environmental harms of oil spills, fracking and carbon emissions, the benefits to consumers and technological innovation of cheap and infinite energy — any one of these should be a good enough reason to encourage the cornucopia of budding energy technologies. And yet… Read more »

Wisconsin is an essential swing state. Likely to go blue, it could still swing the other way. With how things are going for the Republicans, they need their best effort in every swing state. Pres. Barack Obama could likely do without Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes, but Mitt Romney may not… Read more »

We live in an era of new technology, an era defined by social media and a previously unprecedented volume of information sharing and exposure. With such changing tides of technology comes great possibility. However, equally vast are the dangers that are inextricably tied to the inherent vulnerability that characterizes this… Read more »

Something none of our opinion columnists wanted to write on this week was the recent re-accreditation of animal research programs for the University of Wisconsin Graduate School, School of Medicine, and Public Health and School of Veterinary Medicine. It’s a complicated issue, and animal research has important, deep-seated consequences for… Read more »

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor Mordecai Lee has predicted that contrary to popular belief, Gov. Scott Walker, not Paul Ryan, will be likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s pick for a vice presidential candidate, as reported by the Wisconsin State Journal. Although it feels sacrilegious to argue with a man… Read more »

Rick Santorum folded his campaign Tuesday after losing in a knockout blow in Wisconsin. This leaves former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney all but certain to win the nomination. With a heavy year ahead for Wisconsin politics, it will most definitely be a state prized by both campaigns. As a swing… Read more »

News that Republicans will once again be running fake Democratic candidates in the upcoming recall primaries has been, unsurprisingly, met with cries of protest and outrage. Republicans say the candidates are merely being used to make sure that all of the general recall elections take place on the same day… Read more »

The Government Accountability Board announced last month that 900,938 people officially signed in favor of the first gubernatorial recall in state history. For the Democratic Party, the question is: “Now what?” After a year of concerted efforts, millions of dollars, one round of recall elections and a Wisconsin Supreme Court… Read more »

Internship season is upon us, as thousands of undergraduates scramble for the summer rite of passage that has become virtually necessary to secure jobs after graduation. This is the second year I’ve spent countless hours ensuring a summer position to fill the space that would otherwise be empty on my… Read more »

In reference to the Milwaukee Brewers’ payroll for the upcoming season, which is the first in team history to exceed $100 million, primary owner Mark Attanasio said it was simply the price of winning, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Unfortunately, he’s right. For the Brewers, a payroll in the… Read more »

Right now, the odds of Gov. Scott Walker being reelected look good. Very good, in fact. As of Sunday, he had received endorsements from both the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and the Wisconsin Builders’ Association, according to Walker’s website. These are two huge endorsements that will mean a lot when the… Read more »

Race relations have played a huge role in Madison this year. First, there was the Center for Equal Opportunity report about admissions at the University of Wisconsin and the subsequent rally, as reported by WKOW. Then there was the loss of the Madison charter school and the related upcoming school… Read more »

I received my absentee ballot in the mail this week. This was my first ballot. As I looked it over, I discovered that there were many races I knew little to nothing about. Instead of trying to do hasty research on every single race, most of which I lack expertise… Read more »

While studying last night (and by “studying” I actually mean watching “South Park”), I realized that, underneath all the profanity and bolo tie jokes, the episode “Cash for Gold” was actually pretty relevant.  In case you happen to not know every episode of “South Park” by heart, here’s a brief… Read more »

Twenty-five journalists from Gannett newspapers signed petitions to recall Gov. Scott Walker. So did I. Oops. Since I am a journalist — or at least am in training to be one — I can sympathize with the Gannett employees who were revealed to have signed petitions earlier this week. According to… Read more »

The Affordable Care Act was signed two years ago and has provided millions nationwide with expanded access to key health benefits. In particular, the act ensures young people entering the workforce or changing jobs will be covered by allowing them to stay on their parent’s plan until the age of… Read more »

If there’s one thing that people will always have, other than body odor, it’s opinions. As an opinion writer for The Badger Herald, I am one of opinions’ biggest fans, and I think they should be voiced to the world through all available channels. However, in the world of journalism, opinions… Read more »

Most people pay little attention to school board elections, despite the fact that the school board has significant authority over their local school district and, therefore, the community as a whole. The Madison Board of Education election for the Madison Metropolitan School District is getting some uncommon attention, largely due… Read more »

The killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., has brought the abundant racial problems within the U.S. into the spotlight. His death was followed this weekend by the brutal killing of an Iraqi mother of five, Shaima Alawadi, in El Cajon, Calif., who was beaten to death with a… Read more »

On the national scale, the Republican Party has become divided into two distinct camps: fiscal conservatives like Gov. Scott Walker and Rep. Paul Ryan, and the social and religious conservatives like Rick Santorum. Within the past 10 years, the party has become dominated by the social and religious conservative bloc,… Read more »

We live in an era of generational gaps — an era of stark age divisions along social, economic and, now more than ever, political lines. Just when the nation thought it had witnessed the climax of such divisions during the Vietnam War era, the trajectory of history has proven otherwise.… Read more »

On Feb. 26, George Zimmerman, “a volunteer neighborhood watch member,” shot and killed Trayvon Martin — an unarmed Florida teenager. Zimmerman has not been charged with a crime, because he claimed that he shot Trayvon in self-defense. But the shooting has spurred outrage among Americans who feel that Zimmerman has… Read more »

Just as some words seem to lose their meaning if you say them too often (deadline … deadline … deadline … ), so too do some facets of the political process. As a recovering recall fiend, I have made my share of transgressions of reason, but this whole recall schtick… Read more »

In recent years, a clear age gap has developed in politics between our generation and older voters. Younger voters are now significantly more likely to be liberal than older voters. If this trend continues, there will be deep, long running and significant changes in American politics. Changes that I, for one,… Read more »

This Thursday, Robert Lieber, one of America’s leading scholars on the subject of American leadership and its position in the international arena, will deliver a lecture that echoes the message of his newest book, “Power and Willpower in the American Future: Why America is Not Destined to Decline” at the… Read more »

As the latest labor-related incident in a long history of apparel problems at the University of Wisconsin, the current Adidas drama is an issue the university has had to deal with before. After cutting ties with Nike in 2010, UW has made it clear it rightfully can and will take… Read more »

Northwestern has Dillo Day. Illinois has Unofficial Saint Patrick’s Day. Indiana has the Little 500. In an especially obnoxious display of aristocracy, Virginia students drive to a horse track wearing seersucker and fancy hats to spend a day drinking at the Foxfield Races.The University of Wisconsin, in the truest display of Wisconsin exceptionalism, has… Read more »

With a gubernatorial recall election likely happening June 5, it’s looking more and more every day like Gov. Scott Walker will be facing off against former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk. There will be a primary, of course, but barring a last-minute entrance by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Falk is… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker revealed a plan to help eliminate voter fraud in Wisconsin. That law became known as the voter ID law, in which eligible citizens would need a voter ID card to let them vote. Such IDs are easy to get a hold of, unless, of course, you do… Read more »

What has been one of the more eventful legislative sessions in Wisconsin’s history came to an end early Friday morning after months of contentious legislation and unprecedented protests. Walking down State Street, one can see “Recall Walker” stickers and solidarity fists dotting store windows; Wisconsin politics has no doubt seen… Read more »

We all know the familiar feeling of frustration and disappointment when we compare the year-to-date amount to the current on our paychecks. I know personally, it feels like money that I have earned is being taken from me. But I understand the importance of payroll taxes and what they’re being… Read more »

In The Badger Herald’s point-counterpoint exchange last week on Obamacare, the portion written by Vincent Borkowski was riddled with factual and logical errors attempting to support ridiculous points. The primary grievances about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as “Obamacare,” were disjointed complaints unsupported by facts or… Read more »

While the legislative session that began in January 2011 and ended last Friday is now a thing of the past, its impact is still reverberating through the state of Wisconsin. If there were such a thing as a political seismograph— you know, those devices that measure earthquakes and look like… Read more »

In light of the recent repeal of Wisconsin’s Healthy Youth Act, school sex education has been thrust into the spotlight as a critical controversial issue, as reported by Reuters. According to NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, there are roughly 900,000 teen pregnancies in the United States each year, and 48 percent of all… Read more »

The Wisconsin Primary is coming up on April 3. A recent poll by Marquette Law School shows former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum with a healthy 16-point lead over the next-closest candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Wisconsin GOP Primary could be pretty important. Romney will almost certainly win the Republican nomination… Read more »

Our university has a long history of successful shared governance — something we hold in high regard as active members of the student community. Unfortunately, Interim Chancellor David Ward recently violated shared governance statutes in his failure to acknowledge students’ voices regarding our contract with Adidas. As committee bylaws… Read more »

As reported by The Wisconsin State Journal, there is a possibility Catholic organizations will have to pay for birth control. While this raises a first amendment issue that is legitimate, industries that are in the field of public health should serve public health. As for the larger political question of… Read more »

A pair of rulings by Dane County judges has declared the voter ID law unconstitutional, and the GOP is finding out the hard way that it can no longer railroad legislation through the Capitol like has been for the past year. Last year, before the first wave of summer recalls, Republicans… Read more »

In recent days, the University of Wisconsin campus has exploded with talk of Joseph Kony, Invisible Children and the civil war that has been going on in Uganda for the past quarter of a century. Some have rallied in support of the work Invisible Children is doing to end child… Read more »

On Monday, a Dane County judge ruled Wisconsin’s voter ID law unconstitutional. The Badger Herald reported that, as one would expect, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign spokesperson Mike McCabe praised the ruling, while the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s spokesperson, Ben Sparks, said Republicans are planning to appeal.  Cullen Werwie, a spokesman for Gov.… Read more »

If you’ve watched any TV over the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen Gov. Scott Walker’s new ad, titled “Promises Kept” (that’s not a joke). If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it, don’t fret — I’ll be doing a play-by-play of the ad in this week’s column. If… Read more »

Tonight, the Associated Students of Madison Student Council will be voting on whether to approve a special election so students can vote on the ASM Constitutional Committee’s proposed constitution, bylaws and financial code. A special election would put the proposal in the hands of the students, giving them the choice… Read more »

The date is May 5, 2012. Where will you be, a Cinco de Mayo party? No way! This year, the Mifflin Block Party falls on the same day as America’s favorite Mexican holiday, creating the perfect storm for the party of the year. However, due to last year’s violent events,… Read more »

As a freshman, one of the first things I was told was “Don’t walk Rapeshore alone at night.” As unflattering as that nickname is, “Rapeshore” doesn’t only describe Lakeshore Path anymore. Women have been sexually assaulted all across campus. In many of the articles reflecting on them, sources such as… Read more »

Assistant Senate Majority Leader Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, thinks that America is facing an “epidemic” where women are “adopting a single motherhood lifestyle” because they are going to get paid by the government. Grothman has said “unwanted or mistimed” pregnancies are “the choice of women” and that to believe otherwise is… Read more »

My fellow Badger Herald columnist, Charles Godfrey, recently wrote an op-ed in which he agreed with Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum’s contention that academia is decidedly liberal. On the campaign trail, Santorum stated, “There are good, decent men and women, who go out and work hard every day and put… Read more »

While it’s not a normal activity of mine, this weekend I had the unique opportunity to wear a polar bear costume and wave at people. Maybe some explanation is in order. One of my cousins works for an organization called Alaska Wilderness League, which is the only Washington, D.C.-based environmental… Read more »

Who am I? Since the introduction of the Internet and the prevalence of it in today’s society, the virtual world allows me to continuously blur the lines between who I am and who I want you to think I am. And of course, we’ve all heard of the atrocities that… Read more »

Locally and nationally, women’s reproductive rights have been in the spotlight recently. Here on campus, Advocates for Choice, or A4C, a student organization, exists to advocate for those rights. It aims to educate students about reproductive health and rights, to increase pro-choice activism on campus and to serve as a… Read more »

In an era of massive energy consumption, our society faces a critical dilemma — the fuels upon which we depend are running out. Although our daily lives are heavily predicated on the availability of energy sources, many of these sources are both detrimental to the environment and utterly unsustainable, particularly… Read more »

On Tuesday, Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan temporarily blocked new legislation requiring a form of state-issued photo identification to vote in Wisconsin. Proponents of the bill are certain to appeal the ruling, but the law will not be in effect for the April primaries and local elections. Critics of… Read more »

As soon as the ticking clock that signals the end of Invisible Children’s newest 30-minute documentary hit the zero mark, I realized a few minor things in my life inevitably would change between March 6 and April 20. Primarily, I realized my social media feeds would be cluttered with good-intentioned… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin made headlines a couple weeks ago when it was named the fifth-best value of public colleges in America by Princeton Review. The university gave itself a pat on the back for this, as it should have. However, we also came out as the 14th best party school… Read more »

We’ve all heard the saying “Take from the rich and give to the poor.” Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed health care cuts, however, are attempting to do the opposite. Under his new health care plan, $500 million would be taken from BadgerCare and Medicaid health care plans. This is similar to… Read more »

Education is very important in our community, but when the government must make cuts, it too must follow. Our state has just begun to recover from a heavy spending period due to former Gov. Jim Doyle’s wasteful projects. As such, education is faced with the sins of the father and… Read more »

In an interesting twist of events, Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, has rejected the compromise over the new iron mine in northern Wisconsin — despite the fact that the compromise was created by his fellow Republicans. Schultz holds the swing vote, and his rejection of the compromise was surprising. The mine… Read more »

The multiple moving parts of American-Israeli-Iranian relations made this weekend’s American Israeli Public Affairs Committee conference, the largest in its history, a swirling mix of war rhetoric and state power display. While the issue of Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza was brushed aside, Israel became a… Read more »

Rick Santorum, the underdog of the GOP presidential primary election, has a tendency to say all kinds of crazy shit. He’s made a splash this fall by raising eyebrows on the left and right with his religious fanaticism and his social conservatism. He is probably the only candidate still in… Read more »

The U.S. Congress overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow the construction of a $700 million bridge spanning the St. Croix River between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The bridge had to gain a special exemption from Congress due to its violation of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The bridge, which would… Read more »

Abortion poses a moral dilemma; public discourse nearly always probes it from a moralistic dimension. There is no denying that abortion contradicts many of society’s collective moral ideals. Even many of the strongest proponents of abortion rights have qualms about its ethical implications. Indeed, it is both natural and valid to… Read more »

A Florida-based iron-ore mining company, Gogebic Taconite, wants to open a mine in the Penokee Hills of northern Wisconsin. The issue of the mine has been a political football for some time, with Republicans promoting the mine as a job creator and Democrats seeking to block it because of its… Read more »

The criteria qualifying an elected official for recall would be narrowed by a recently proposed amendment. If passed, the Legislature would establish a code of ethics to determine if a politician facing serious crimes or ethical problems could be eligible for recall. Recall petitioners would also have to show sufficient… Read more »

In order for Gov. Scott Walker to balance the state budget, the University of Wisconsin has been handed $46.1 million in cuts. As of yet, no UW group is sure how to shoulder the setback, and right now, all anyone can do is plug leaks in the levy while the… Read more »

In 2004, P. Diddy gave America an ultimatum. Undoubtedly distraught over growing political apathy among youth, he proclaimed in a fit of rage: “Vote or die!” Last week, nearly 90 percent of Dane County residents chose death. P. Diddy’s “Rock the Vote” campaign may not have been talking about Dane… Read more »

The state of Wisconsin has become a microcosm of the broader political landscape across the county. It has all the great elements of political drama, and even one significant advantage over the rest of the country: We don’t have to wait until November to see how it turns out. For… Read more »

Last week, The Badger Herald Editorial Board met with Reps. Mark Pocan and Brett Hulsey, both Democratic legislators from Madison. While both had similar ideologies, one thing was abundantly clear: we need more legislators like Pocan and fewer like Hulsey. During our meeting with Pocan, he spoke with melancholy of… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s decision not to challenge any of the recall signatures means that after a year of recall activity, Wisconsin is getting close to the main event. The deadline for Walker to challenge recall signatures passed without incident Monday, leaving only a review by state elections officials between Wisconsin and… Read more »

College is a place for higher learning and where people go to find direction in their lives. That is what society wants us to believe, at least. However, college students all across America know the real deal. For the most part, it’s a work hard, play hard environment. Here’s the… Read more »

The federal trial in the case of the controversial redrawn voting districts has been yet another revelation in the overt political self-interest of the Republican Party. The maps were introduced and pushed through the Legislature under Republican support with the approval of Gov. Scott Walker, and then instantaneously contested in… Read more »

Last Wednesday, University of Wisconsin philosophy professor Dan Hausman gave a talk on the fairness and justification for preferential admissions. The talk was prompted by a report released last October by the Center for Equal Opportunity, which found that “studies show … a black or Hispanic undergraduate applicant was more… Read more »

Point There recently have been two proposed tort reform bills in our state Legislature regarding gender and racial discrimination. In essence, they seek to take away the ability of a claimant to receive compensatory and punitive damages in civil court. Compensatory damages reimburse for loss, injury or harm caused to… Read more »

On Monday, more than 300 religious leaders from across the state presented an open letter to the government and people of Wisconsin calling for a dramatic reduction in the state prison population. The initiative, called the “11x15” campaign, is a nod to the dimensions of the standard prison cell they… Read more »

This past Tuesday, the state Senate Democrats stalled a bill that would put new restrictions on abortion providers. Abortion is one of the most complicated moral issues in this nation, and an effort to change one’s mind about the moral aspect of it is often fruitless and will end only… Read more »

As a student majoring in anthropology and Latin American studies, it’s a real possibility I might one day be living in a van down by the river. All jokes aside, homelessness is a major issue our city faces every day. According to the non-profit Porchlight, more than 3,500 people experience… Read more »

Yesterday, while I was poring over the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I found an interesting report about the proliferation of opioid painkillers during the past decade. I found that the focus of this Journal Sentinel investigation was the way in which pharmaceutical companies, physicians and lobby groups have become financially entangled.… Read more »

Adelaide Blanchard, Editor-at-Large:I hate to disappoint you, but if you have read this far looking for the rogue Badger Herald columnist to go on a tirade about how much they hate interpretative dance and post-modern surrealism, you have come to the wrong place.  I am suspicious of the proposed College… Read more »

If asked for an honest response of how many college students dissect their renter’s lease with a fine-toothed comb, I speculate that it would be only a few. That being said, the tenant legislation bill currently on the table should be of great interest to the Wisconsin student body, or… Read more »

Every semester, full-time students on this campus pay $539.52 in segregated fees. Multiply that by all of the students on campus, and nearly $42 million was collected this year. Seventy-eight percent of those fees go to facilities over which students have little oversight. On a campus where shared governance has… Read more »

GOP candidates for the U.S Senate seat in Wisconsin have jumped on board with their party’s presidential candidate hopefuls in denouncing President Barack Obama for his policy of mandating all employer health insurance must cover birth control. After checking that we are indeed in the 21st century, I decided to lay out… Read more »

The shocking news of New York Times reporter and University of Wisconsin alum Anthony Shadid’s sudden death last week inspired a rash of memorial articles enshrining the writer as one of the most talented reporters of our time. His passing inspired UW students to glance at some of his works, perhaps… Read more »

“I remember growing up next to a coal mine — those were some of the best days of my life.” This is a sentence that has never been truthfully uttered in the history of mankind. However, don’t you worry, children of the Chippewa Tribe in the Penokee Hills, you can… Read more »

It seems that yet again, common sense is taking a backseat for Gov. Scott Walker’s opponents. Their newest outcry is over the governor’s request for two additional weeks to review the recall signatures. How is it that a reasonable, simple request was denied to review what may be considered to… Read more »

As the upcoming recall election approaches, Wisconsin Democrats are looking for change in the form of a promising candidate for governor. Although many feel their intentions for doing so are reasonable, the reality of Wisconsin’s political predicament dictates that the mere election of a new, more liberal governor is not… Read more »

The United States’ education system is extraordinary in several ways. A quick look at rankings of universities around the world reveals that America is home to many of the world’s best. However, despite having more resources than many other nations, the U.S. lags behind many other developed nations in primary… Read more »

Leland Pan’s Facebook candidacy page states you should “empower the student voice and elect [him] for Dane County Board District 5 to ensure our campus is represented by a true progressive.” It also says he has focused on “labor rights, environmental protections and higher education affordability.” What it doesn’t describe,… Read more »

In 2009, 364 people were the victims of a robbery within Madison’s city limits, and 28 were forcibly raped. For a city of about 230,000, those numbers do not amount to a very high crime rate. The idea of Madison as a crime-free haven, of course, is misguided. Unfortunate things… Read more »

I’m sure that University of Wisconsin memes were cool long before I found them, and that people with more “internet savvy” or “computer literacy” or “time to spend on Internet junk” than I have were posting meme after meme before they were even cool in the first place. Anyhow, I… Read more »

When a law providing for state-subsidized venture capital was signed in 1999, it seemed like a win-win. The state would provide $50 million to investment firms, called CAPCOs, which would invest in fledgling companies, creating plenty of jobs along the way. As one might imagine, things didn’t turn out exactly… Read more »

The spate of recall elections that has been taking place across the country, including here in Wisconsin, have been praised as affirmations of our greatest democratic ideals. However, there is a strong defense of a not-quite-opposing view that these elections are a slightly mitigated form of mob rule. The founding… Read more »

A trip to the Fresh Madison Market on the University of Wisconsin campus offers valuable insights into the diet of the archetypal college student. As one strolls past the shopping carts in the checkout line, he or she is likely to see a plethora of stereotypical “college foods”: Everything from… Read more »

Teach for America is a non-profit organization that gives recent college graduates, chosen through a highly selective process, the opportunity to teach underprivileged schoolchildren. The idea is a simple one: Young, inspiring and accomplished participants can give their students the education necessary to enrich their community, with an additional effect… Read more »

On Wednesday night, a debate was held in the Law School about the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The ruling held that the First Amendment “prohibits the government from limiting expenditures for political purposes by corporations and unions.” Allison Hayward, the vice president of policy… Read more »

There have been a number of changes to the proposed Madison Nuisance Party Ordinance, a piece of legislation which, if passed, would hold landlords accountable by issuing them fines when their lessees throw “nuisance” parties. These fines will almost certainly be passed on to lessees, but even aside from that,… Read more »

As we all know, last month groups supporting the recall effort announced that they had collected enough signatures to force Gov. Scott Walker to face a recall election. Critics have said this effort is a cheap political ploy to unseat a democratically-elected leader that did what he said he was… Read more »

Yesterday, I was going to make the Opinion page’s quote of the day, “It’s all BS.” Reported on Feb. 7 by the Wisconsin State Journal, this quote comes from Charles Prindiville, owner of Rising Sun Massage Parlor located on West Main Street, who was denying allegations, and now a police… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin raised threat levels on campus Feb. 2 when it issued a statement with a police sketch of a suspect sought in a December assault on North Carroll Street.   The university statement urged students to “consider their own personal safety” when they walk at night. Some… Read more »

As the old adage goes, shit happens. This is especially true in the world of government. With something as large and complicated as, say, a state government or a campaign for office, things are bound to go wrong. For this reason, some mistakes are forgivable.  If one bad apple slips through… Read more »

How much responsibility do American companies who manufacture their products overseas have to the workers making those products? The Student Labor Action Committee’s request that the university terminate its relationship with Adidas over $1.8 million in severance pay owed to workers in PT Kizone Indonesia throws this question into the… Read more »

In a new twist, supporters of Gov. Scott Walker have been encouraging voters to write in Walker as a candidate in the Democratic primary for the recall election.  This builds on the saga Walker supporters have created by doing things like running “fake Democratic” Republicans in Democratic primaries. It seems… Read more »

Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs recently published a white paper, or authoritative report, on poverty. It states, “Poverty is expected to increase again in 2011 due to the slow pace of the economic recovery, the persistently high rate of unemployment, and the long duration of spells of… Read more »

Amid the ongoing controversy over ID requirements for Madison bars, the state Assembly is poised to take bar reform to the next level. There is a bill on the table that would give establishments the right to sue underage drinkers in civil court for damages up to $1,000. The bill… Read more »

While the liberal left touts the greatness of the state recall process, another governmental right was almost squashed by them: the open records request. You might be asking yourself why such proponents of people’s rights are so against making information free. The answer I’ve found is that most liberals only… Read more »

By the end of this month, Chancellor David Ward might be lucky enough to receive a freshly-baked cake from his friends at the Student Labor Action Coalition. It’s all part of the cyclical relationship between SLAC and the University of Wisconsin: Licensed company does something bad, SLAC raises a fuss,… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin has a rich history of social tolerance. It also has a legacy of activism, fostering not only acceptance but also open discourse and the free expression of ideas. With this said, it still requires courageous individuals to contribute and express their opinions in order to maintain… Read more »

I’ll have to admit, I felt both relieved when our news editor told us last night that Assembly Minority Leader Donna Seidel, D-Wausau, and Kristen Dexter and John Lehman were about to announce their candidacies against three Republican state senators in recall elections later this year. For weeks, all anyone has… Read more »

Students of this university are fortunate to live in such close proximity to government. A lively state Legislature, a passionate and active City Council — we’ve got it all here. What makes this proximity to government most unique however, is that we’re recognized with dedicated student seats at a number… Read more »

Last Wednesday, Gov. Scott Walker gave his State of the State address. In doing so, he pulled a Fox News. Walker made a lot of claims throughout his speech, so let’s start at the beginning. He noted that since the last time he addressed Wisconsin a year ago, the unemployment… Read more »

As chair of the Associated Students of Madison Constitutional Committee, I am deeply disappointed with the lack of response — negative or positive — that our student body has given toward our efforts to improve our student government’s constitution. At our opening press conference, attendance was high, with representatives from… Read more »

Ongoing investigations reveal that several of Gov. Scott Walker’s aides were doing campaign work while on the clock at the Milwaukee County Executive’s office. Kelly Rindfleisch, 43, has been charged with four felony counts of misconduct in office, and Darlene Wink, 61, has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of… Read more »

The Republican Party reached a new low last week, rejecting outright a series of proposals brought to a joint legislative hearing on infant mortality. Wisconsin finds itself among the worst of all states with infant mortality rates. The number of infants who die in Wisconsin in the first year of their… Read more »

When the special panel charged with investigating allegations against a former University of Wisconsin athletics official released their report last week, there were a number of high-profile absences. Head football coach Bret Bielema and former Senior Associate Athletic Director John Chadima himself were among the parties that declined an interview… Read more »

In the unprecedented political situation which we find ourselves today, it is hard to ignore the parallel plotlines playing out on the state and national level. On the national stage, there is the fiercely competitive Republican primary, in which Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney seem to be taking the lead… Read more »

Politicians and lawyers have long been bedfellows. That’s not news. Legal expertise is an obvious advantage in politics, and in addition to that, lawyers may be the only group of people more capable than politicians of exposing ambiguities in language. It should come as no surprise then, given the plethora… Read more »

In truth, not just anyone can be elected a governor in this country. The reality of American political culture dictates sufficient funds are necessary to carry out a successful campaign, which establishes the framework for public support and eventual election into office. The success or failure of any run for… Read more »

The word “jobs” is now being used as justification for just about everything. The latest abuse of the innocent-sounding “jobs” is its use as a rationale for passing a bill that would restructure the mining permit approval process in Wisconsin. Part of the reason for the attention surrounding this bill… Read more »

On Tuesday night, the University of Wisconsin released a report detailing allegations of sexual assault against former Senior Associate Athletic Director John Chadima. An unidentified male student claims that Chadima sexually assaulted him at a party in the run up to the Rose Bowl. It is important to say that… Read more »

Only one thing is certain about the recall election against Gov. Scott Walker — the stakes are high. Boris Epshteyn of U.S. News & World Report laid out all the national consequences of a Walker victory: It would be indicative of the national stance toward unions, a positive for Republicans… Read more »

Madison is an innovative and creative city. Perhaps you have already heard this. The University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison share a rare relationship, unique among college towns and the institutions that call them home. For the last decade or two, this has been the result of an… Read more »

Earlier this month, more than one million recall signatures for Gov. Scott Walker were filed. Recent reports show a recall election for the governor could cost at least nine million dollars. Democrats label the cost as “the best down payment people can make for Wisconsin’s future” and claim Walker has… Read more »

About a year ago, documents with New Badger Partnership details leaked to an agitated campus community and created a poly-headed PR-nightmare-monster for the University of Wisconsin’s administration.   It came at a time when many in the state and UW were already tense due to budget cuts and policies coming… Read more »

Last February, Gov. Scott Walker proposed a budget bill that included massive cuts for state employees, prompting massive demonstrations in Madison. The most controversial provisions in the legislation eliminated collective bargaining rights for the unions representing state employees and also forced them to pay much more for health care benefits.… Read more »

As of Nov. 1, 2011, the concealed weapons law in the state of Wisconsin has changed, allowing residents to carry concealed weapons in Wisconsin as long as they have a permit to do so. I will not deny this law in theory could have some positive effects. However, the major… Read more »

Being a physics major, I feel almost comfortable admitting between classes last spring I would often wander around Chamberlain Hall and look at the research facilities like normal people wander around a museum. I’d ogle at the glittering metal chambers and the technicolor web of entangled wires that surround them,… Read more »

Last week, I accompanied my father as he joined the Austin Federation of Musicians, Chapter 433. He now joins more than 2,000 workers back in my colder home of Wisconsin, which ranks 2.3 percent higher than the national average for percentage of unionized workers. However, Wisconsin has recently experienced a… Read more »

Judge Michael Gableman’s tenure as a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice has been rocky. In his 2008 campaign for the Supreme Court, Gableman came under fire for an advertisement he ran against his opponent that may not have been completely truthful. This potential ethics violation came before the court and resulted… Read more »

In light of the recent Recall Walker movement, Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-union stance is increasingly under fire. A law was passed in 2011 eliminating the collective bargaining rights of public workers, with the exception of police and firefighters, and forced them to contribute to their own health care and pension.… Read more »

A year later, it turns out refusing $810 million from the federal government to overhaul Wisconsin’s rail was still a bad idea. The Legislature recently approved $31.6 million to be spent on the Amtrak line from Milwaukee to Chicago. That amount won’t cover all the necessary costs either, with the… Read more »

The news of former Chancellor Biddy Martin’s departure from her post was a fitting and predictable ending to a tumultuous academic year in Madison. Upon announcing her decision, Martin insisted she was not leaving because of the political failure of the New Badger Partnership, but the deflated atmosphere that her… Read more »

There’s something about campaigns that makes politicians say some really stupid things. Take, for example, Lyndon Johnson’s promise to win the “War on Poverty” (ask the 46.2 million Americans living in poverty how that went.) Not to be outdone, George H.W. Bush famously vowed, “Read my lips, no new taxes”… Read more »

In its purest form, the opinion page of a newspaper is a forum where citizens can share ideas, express concerns and promote change. It is a place where readers can find out not just what happened, but how what happened will impact them. It is also a place where all… Read more »

With the 2012 Iowa caucuses scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012, the Republican Party presidential primary race should begin to take form soon. With the recent suspension of Herman Cain’s campaign, eight candidates remain. However, that number is sure to dwindle shortly after the Iowa caucuses because there are basically three… Read more »

After a wild and debauchery-driven day on the streets of Mifflin last year, Mayor Paul Soglin said he was in favor of scrapping the party entirely. Two people were stabbed and 162 were arrested, and in the words of the mayor himself, “By noon you had kids who were staggering… Read more »

Every two minutes, someone is sexually assaulted in the United States. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 213,000 individuals, or roughly 3.5 percent of the population, will be victims of sexual assault each year. To put these statistics in perspective, WisconsinWatch.org reported in 2008 that an estimated 750… Read more »

Badgers, we’ve been here before. Once again, our football team prepares to take the field in Pasadena to duke it out in the Rose Bowl, and once again I prepare to sit in a car for 35 hours straight to get there. The long drive, however, is not what I’m… Read more »

I remember a conversation I had a couple of years ago in the poolside bar area of a party hostel in Medellin, Colombia, with a British guy named Allen. For both of us, college was an eventuality that we were both looking forward to and dreading, but at that time… Read more »

The state legislature is considering a law proposed by Gov. Scott Walker this week that would require protesters to give three days prior notice and make them pay for security when protesting on the Capitol. This law is a cheap tactic to keep the governor out of the way of… Read more »

Last Friday, Gov. Scott Walker lit up the Capitol’s Christmas tree (I think calling it a “holiday tree,” as some have suggested, might be taking political correctness a little too far) at 8:15 a.m. Note that usually the lighting of the tree occurs around midday, but due to previous engagements… Read more »

If you’ve read any of my previous op-eds for The Badger Herald, you’ve probably come to the accurate conclusion that I have liberal tendencies. I don’t trust free markets. I believe that labor unions and government regulations do more good than harm. Thus, my ambivalence toward the Occupy Wall Street… Read more »

Despite hatred and intolerance from the lefties, Gov. Scott Walker’s ideas for a better Wisconsin are working. There can be no more arguing (unless of course the left decides to ignore facts and chooses to continue living in their ignorant world). Many, many jobs have come to our fair state… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s administration unveiled a new policy Thursday that would hold demonstrators liable for police and repair costs. The administration defended the bill saying it simply “clarifies existing rules.” In addition to enforcement personnel time and damage costs, the police could also require advance payments or liability insurance. In… Read more »

The recent failure of the congressional ‘supercommittee’ is yet another addition to the already long list of reasons why Congress’ approval rating is hovering around 9 percent. By the way, things that are more popular than Congress include, but are not limited to: the Iraq war, polygamy, communism, pornography (is… Read more »

There are some thoughtless people who attend the University of Wisconsin — some may even go as far as to call them the “worst people on campus” — who buy Rose Bowl tickets and resell them to their fellow Badgers for well above face value. This ensures that fans with… Read more »

State Representatives Mark Pocan, D-Madison, and Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, have introduced a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state of Wisconsin. If the bill is puff puff passed, patients with glaucoma, cancer, AIDS or other chronic conditions will be eligible for marijuana prescriptions. They would receive ID cards… Read more »

The Madison Metropolitan School District has a dual-language immersion program which allows parents to opt in or out on their children’s behalf. According to the MMSD website, Leopold, Midvale, Sandburg, Chavez and Glendale elementary schools, as well as Sennett Middle School and Nuestro Mundo (a K-5 charter school), all offer… Read more »

If the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents is willing to make necessary changes to its relationship with System leaders, the perfect candidate for UW’s next chancellor just became available. Richard Lariviere’s story is a familiar one. As the president of the University of Oregon, a majority of his term… Read more »

Hey, have you heard? Gov. Scott Walker is probably on his way to facing a Democrat in a recall election. After a year of governing Wisconsin more controversially than anyone in recent memory, Wisconsin liberals appear to be on their way to forcing Walker into an election. Surprise! Do not… Read more »

Imagine the NFL passed a new rule in the offseason, rewarding the Super Bowl champions Green Bay Packers by allowing them to set the order for the upcoming draft. Would you expect the Packers to be fair and set up the draft based on record? Of course not. They would… Read more »

Protests of all shapes and sizes have been in the news quite a bit over the past year. Between the Arab Spring, the Tea Party, the backlash against austerity in Europe and now the Occupy movement, it seems that not a day goes by without some coverage of a protest… Read more »

Well, they are halfway there. Activists have already gathered 300,000 signatures to recall Gov. Scott Walker — an unbelievable rate of 1,040 signatures an hour. However, despite their enormous success, liberals are still living on a prayer. With no candidate in mind to pit against Walker in the imminent recall… Read more »

When the world’s population reached seven billion earlier this month, it came with the realization that overpopulation may be a very real threat. On a planet with limited resources and huge income disparities, adding more people inevitably means adding more hunger, more pollution and more expenses. Yet Republicans seem to… Read more »

Most actions Gov. Scott Walker takes, I attribute to two things: Either he is trying to cut the budget or is generally misinformed about his actions. Or, most likely, it’s some combination of the two. However, there’s one recent move I think Walker actually planned on. Appleton’s Post-Crescent reported that… Read more »

Since the kickoff of recall efforts against Gov. Scott Walker on Nov. 15th, I’ve been nothing short of rock hard for the range of Democratic hopefuls looking to steer Wisconsin to port. I mean, you have What’s-her-face, Fireman Union Guy, Sen. Guy-from-near-Madison-who-went-to-Illinois-that-one-time, Rep. Kenosha-guy-who-just-kept-yelling-in-the-Assembly and U.S. Reps. Who? and Huh?… Read more »

Put it in the books, folks — the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently completed a tally of jobs lost and jobs created in the month of October, and the results are less than reassuring for Wisconsin. The BLS reported that Wisconsin lost 9,700 jobs, more than any other state, coming… Read more »

On Thursday, Nov. 17th, protesters occupied the North Avenue bridge in Milwaukee, chanting “we are the 99 percent,” coinciding with the “Occupy” protests that have spread across the nation. The site was chosen because it — like many other bridges and infrastructures around the country — needs fixing and could… Read more »

In a guest column in The Badger Herald, the University of Wisconsin College Democrats claim that “it was clear from the beginning that the protests at the Capitol aimed not only to stop Republicans from pushing the [budget repair] bill through the state Legislature, but also to accomplish another underlying,… Read more »

A coal-fired power plant in the small town of Alma, Wis., has taken center stage in the never-ending tug of war between environmentalists and power companies. Dating back to 1947, the plant, owned by Dairyland Power Cooperative, has been the center of an environmental and political debate that spans generations.… Read more »

I was recently walking on campus this past Thursday when I was approached by a person decked out in pro-Democrat buttons with a clipboard. Rather rudely with no “excuse me” or anything, he demanded I sign the petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker. I decided to give him the benefit… Read more »

On Tuesday, Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, came to the University of Wisconsin to deliver a speech about the erosion of freedom of speech on college campuses across America. According to Lukianoff, one of the main tools used by universities to limit students’ freedom… Read more »

I’ve been a reporter and editor at The Badger Herald for more than two years, and over that time I’ve covered and followed dozens of stories ranging from extraordinary to mundane. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that what is breaking news today is old news tomorrow,… Read more »

The “Recall Walker” movement got underway Tuesday, and apparently Gov. Scott Walker does not think he had anything to do with it. Walker said in a news conference Tuesday that “the bottom line is we did what we said we were going to do when we were campaigning.” The truth,… Read more »

“I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” That was what Barack Obama said when asked by a journalist whether he believes in American exceptionalism — that is, whether America is unique and therefore the… Read more »

POINT: When it comes to protesting, a little professionalism goes a long way toward making people sympathize with your cause. This was demonstrated very clearly last winter and spring as tens of thousands of Wisconsin’s public workers took to the streets of Madison to express their displeasure at Gov. Scott… Read more »

The state’s Joint Finance Committee has approved a proposal to restrict government spending on health services in an effort to curb the budget deficit. The proposed change in Medicaid and Medicare services denies eligibility to adults under the age of 26 who are covered under their parents’ insurance, caps premiums… Read more »

Few things are too big to fail. If the allegations are true that former Pennsylvania State University defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky molested at least eight boys, he acted on the misconception his connections and position of power rendered him too big to fail. When Head Coach Joe Paterno attempted to… Read more »

Wednesday’s “Presidential Debate” between the College Democrats and College Republicans, while laudable in its efforts to elevate discourse on campus, was glaringly indicative of a fundamental flaw at the heart of our current political landscape. In the “yes or no” response round, there were only a few topics the debaters… Read more »

Wisconsin needs referendums, not recalls. Ohio voted yesterday in a nonpartisan issue referendum to repeal a collective bargaining bill similar to the one passed in Madison earlier this year. The referendum provided the taxpayers an opportunity to respond directly to the union busting legislation in a single vote. Wisconsin voters… Read more »

November is upon us, and for many freshmen this means having their mailbox stuffed with information, advertisements and junk mail relating to the grand question, “Where are you going to live next year?” Despite the fact that freshmen barely know anyone other than the people on their floor and that… Read more »

Look at any university ranking table, and the overwhelming majority of top universities are American. The Shanghai Rankings list 35 American universities among the top 50 universities with the world. The UK is next, with three among the top 50. The rankings are not dominated by private universities — the… Read more »

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to meet José Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning former Washington Post reporter who revealed himself to be an undocumented immigrant in a moving New York Times Magazine essay this summer. Vargas said something that struck a chord with me: “Only white people… Read more »

Members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation were upset by Gov. Scott Walker’s announcement on Nov. 7th that the tree to be erected in the Capital Rotunda later this month will be called a “Christmas Tree.” The president of the group, Annie Laurie Gaylor, called it rude and insensitive to… Read more »

Here is some news you will not hear in the mainstream liberal media because it puts President Barack Obama in an embarrassing light. Anything that does that is immediately covered up, and the Solyndra scandal is big news, really. If it was any member of the right wing, then they… Read more »

On Oct. 31, a bill giving landlords more leverage over tenants passed the state Assembly. The landlord bill, introduced by three Republicans, will have a “significant impact on the working relationship between landlords and tenants,” Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said in an interview with The Badger Herald. The bill… Read more »

President Obama and the Republican-held House are finally working together. Except they are working together to undermine the economy, and in the process, the American worker. Recently, the House passed a series of trade bills with Obama’s support, even though labor advocates and organizations such as the AFL-CIO oppose these… Read more »

The most recent outcry from the perpetually dissatisfied Democrats in the state Legislature has been over Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to require voters to present valid identification cards in order to vote. The logic behind this is you are proving (with a picture) that you are who you claim to… Read more »

Six Madison protesters are suing the state’s Department of Administration over a ban on signs and banners in the Capitol. The lawsuit was filed on Friday and claims the $500 dollar fine for carrying a sign or banner in the Capitol without the approval of the Department of Administration is… Read more »

The justice system in the United States is supposed to be at once a retributive and a rehabilitative system. This means that when someone is convicted of a crime, they are punished because what they did was wrong and caused harm to society, and they are given a chance to… Read more »

I like guns. I like having them, I like shooting them. I believe that as Americans and citizens of the modern world, we have the right to have guns for responsible recreation and — if we feel we need them — defense. The Wisconsin Legislature’s latest gun related bill, however,… Read more »

It’s now official. Wisconsinites who have a concealed carry permit — and judging by the surge in downloads of the online application, the figure will likely number in the tens if not hundreds of thousands — are now allowed to carry a concealed weapon into many public buildings, including the… Read more »

The special jobs session is drawing to a close, and it is clear the Republicans are more interested in protecting their own jobs than creating any for Wisconsin. In the last month, a session that was supposed to be aimed with “laser beam focus” on the issue of creating jobs… Read more »

In the late hours between Friday, Oct. 29, and Saturday, Oct. 30, two Wisconsin men were arrested on individual counts of drunken driving. They were repeat offenders, and between them they had ten “operating a vehicle while intoxicated charges.” These drivers, while surely not wanting or intending to kill other… Read more »

The Multicultural Student Coalition is an extremely important student organization on campus that has seen quite a bit of press recently, showing its forcefulness in dealing with the Associated Students of Madison and the Student Services Finance Committee. However, the controversial and callous nature of its actions has turned many… Read more »

When Republicans approved redistricting plans this summer, there was understandably a bit of a fuss over the maps benefiting GOP legislators. Now, with the recall shitstorm looming on the horizon, at least one Republican is looking to strengthen that advantage by putting the new districts into effect this month. The… Read more »

A lot of people I’ve spoken to about the new concealed carry laws have told me that they are uncomfortable with guns and don’t feel safe when they’re around. I’ve argued that I feel the same way about Coasties on mopeds, but we can’t ban them just as we can’t… Read more »

The Madison Fire Department is fed up with all of the careless cooking that’s going on in this town. Residents have become more and more lackadaisical in the kitchen in the past few years, and department officials don’t care if cooks are scatterbrained with academic stress, tired from excessive protesting… Read more »

I activated my first Gmail account on Sept. 9, 2005. It was sophomore year of high school and time to move on from the “signebturtle@msn.com” phase of my life. Two weeks later, I invited two of my best friends to join. Reading the emails over six years later, the reason… Read more »

As you all know, it’s almost time for University of Wisconsin students’ second favorite holiday — after the Mifflin Street Block Party, of course. It’s a whole weekend of tricks, hopefully treats and certainly debauchery. It’s time for Halloween. Madison, specifically the university, has a national reputation for throwing a… Read more »

Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to freeze state workers’ pay for two years is just another partisan power grab. The governor’s plan is to freeze wage increases across the board for all state employees over the next two years. Following the controversial bill earlier this year that removed union bargaining rights,… Read more »

I’m not Gov. Scott Walker’s biggest fan. While a balanced budget is important, some of his budget cuts have been simply ridiculous. It appears that Walker fails to appreciate the merits of a differentiated fiscal policy that makes adroit use of both tax cuts and stimulus spending. Walker recently announced… Read more »

While I was eating breakfast at my dining commons last week, I heard something that offended me — I noticed people at the table in front of me were trying to sound funny by impersonating a “black” manner of speaking. No one at the table was anywhere close to black.… Read more »

When participating in stereotypically Madisonian activities like riding a community bicycle, strolling around Capitol Square during a farmers market or drinking a hazelnut latté, I often wonder how the most conservative politicians in Wisconsin deal with spending such a significant portion of their lives in the Midwest’s cesspit of sin… Read more »

According to the Department of Natural Resources, “Sampling from one of the wells drilled last summer to test for pollutants in groundwater near Madison Kipp Corporation turned up traces of an industrial solvent at nearly six times the maximum level allowable in drinking water under state and federal standards.” Madison Kipp… Read more »

In future elections, Milwaukee will provide ballots and other voting information in Spanish as a result of the growth in the number of predominantly Spanish-speaking residents in the city. This will be the first time any jurisdiction in Wisconsin will fall under the Voting Rights Act section which “requires that… Read more »

Sexual assault and abuse awareness is a cause we can never give enough attention to, and that is why I was especially horrified that no charges were brought against Ald. Brian Solomon, District 10. District Attorney Shelly Rusch had valid reasoning for not bringing charges, but she should take her… Read more »

Wisconsin lawmakers are taking steps to protect youth athletes from repeated concussions. A bill currently before the Legislature would cover youth sports from ages 11 to 19 and require coaches to take a player out of the game or practice immediately if the player may have had a traumatic brain… Read more »

It was recently released in the news that Gov. Scott Walker has indeed kept the promise he made during his campaign to pay his pension cost, just as he is requiring all state employees to do. The main argument, however, is over the timing. Walker is quoted to have said… Read more »

When it comes to sex, I have a pretty simple philosophy — be safe and have fun. The fun thing is rarely, if ever, a problem, and thanks to my incredibly comprehensive high school health class, I have not yet run in to a situation where I was not sure… Read more »

There’s no doubt about it: From what I know about the Dalai Lama, he’s an extremely peaceful, intelligent, compassionate individual. One could go on and on listing his positive attributes. However, it seems, despite all of his wisdom, the Dalai Lama has a penchant for speaking about things beyond his… Read more »

The University of Wisconsin has an illustrious history as one of the best public universities in the world. UW is consistently ranked among the top 40 universities in the world and has a pedigree of producing alumni who rise to the very top in their given fields. Part of this… Read more »

There is a growing problem on campus involving moped parking. Along with an increase in the cost of parking permits, there has been a noticeable decrease in available parking spots. This has led to a parking nightmare for students trying to get to class on time. Although the increase in… Read more »

New and impressive buildings are rising all over the University of Wisconsin campus, including the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, Union South and the new lakeshore residence hall. However, in the non-campus area, you see a very different image — stagnation. The residents of this city seem to be afraid of… Read more »

As friends of mine apply to college and I vicariously relive the whole experience, I am thinking a lot about education. It is very easy to hit the education system in America with criticism. There have been many articles written on the topic, criticizing universities for obscure and undefined problems… Read more »

Wisconsin is not a state naturally averse to guns. Although a historically blue state, our penchant for progressivism doesn’t trump our love for firearms, be it deer season, turkey season, Christmas, what have you. It comes as little surprise, then, how relatively calmly Wisconsinites accepted legislation leaving Illinois the lone… Read more »

According to an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week, the city of Waukesha recently received a $350,000 grant to start a special court for nonviolent drug-dependent criminals. The goal of this drug court is to combat the rise in abuse of opiates, including both heroin and prescription drugs.… Read more »

POINT: Sorry, University of Wisconsin Athletics, but I don’t think an email is going to stop your least favorite cheer. Especially one that makes largely banal and easily refutable points. Let’s take them one at a time. Children under 18 should not be subjected to vulgarity at a football game.… Read more »

For the past few weeks, signs featuring “We are the 99” dominated Wall Street and Main Streets across America. This is in response to a double-dip recession, federal bailouts of big banks and record highs for corporate profits in the past several years. According to the Federal Reserve, the top… Read more »

The bill moving through the Capitol right now aimed at preventing felons from gaining employment will cost Wisconsin. A bill proposed by State Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, would permit employers to both refuse employment for applicants convicted of a felony and fire current employees with the same conviction, even if the… Read more »

I like Chris Christie. There, I said it. Chris Christie, the overweight, much-maligned and confrontational anti-union governor of New Jersey actually seems to be a good guy committed to the best interests of his state. And even though I’ll almost surely vote for President Barack Obama in 2012, I’m still… Read more »

It seems like we’ve reached that time of Republican primary season where someone brings up the ‘M word.’ At a Christian conservative campaign event on Friday, a Texan pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, attacked GOP primary candidate Mitt Romney’s religious beliefs, stating that he viewed Mormonism as “a theological cult.” Dr.… Read more »

State Sen. Spencer Coggs, D-Milwaukee, introduced legislation recently to give Milwaukee residents the ability to waive a $20 fee to obtain a copy of their birth certificate, in order to get an ID to vote with. Coggs’ move was a reaction to the new state law that requires photo IDs… Read more »

From November 2010 to March 2011, the news was filled with Gov. Scott Walker’s plan to scrap the proposed high speed rail system. What upset me most was not a deep love for trains, a desire to be more European or the excitement of being able to cheaply and easily… Read more »

A group of Wisconsin state legislators are trying to remove art they find offensive from the State Capitol. These legislators are not conservative Republicans, as some might expect, but liberal Democrats.  The Democratic lawmakers in question want to take down a portrait of former Wisconsin Gov. Jeremiah Rusk, who violently… Read more »

Last week, Amando Rodriguez-Benitez was driving drunk the wrong way down I-43 in Milwaukee when he was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy. At that point he had already crashed into one car and caused another driver to swerve into the median, but nobody was seriously injured.  Rodriguez-Benitez plead guilty to numerous… Read more »

Lawrence O’Donnell, in a recent interview on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” made several disturbing remarks toward Herman Cain, a Republican presidential nomination hopeful and an African American. Cain was invited to be interviewed by O’Donnell in regard to his new autobiography, “This is Herman Cain!” This interview represented nothing… Read more »

If we want to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates, all we have to do is tell kids to abstain from sex. It’s that simple, right? Apparently, that’s what Senator Mary Lazich, R-New Berlin, was thinking when she introduced SB 2088 into the Wisconsin State Senate last week.… Read more »

Republicans use the term “class warfare” when the President asks the top 1 percent to pay its fair share. Rep. Paul Ryan said “class warfare makes for great politics but rotten economics,” and I, for one, agree. However, if you really want to see class warfare and how it makes… Read more »

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right “to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense,” but only in criminal prosecutions. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court heard public testimony on a recent petition that would establish the same right to counsel in some civil cases as well. This new right… Read more »

Voting is one of the pillars of representative democracy. It gives the public a chance to voice its opinion on how the government is doing. Often, this means voting against the majority and bringing about a change in government. Like most countries, America has a voluntary voting system. People of… Read more »

The promotional material for this fall’s “Occupy Wall Street” protests in New York City appeared more like the lead up to a blockbuster movie than a mass demonstration. A poster for the event created by Adbusters, one of the organizations that called for the protest, shows a woman dancing atop… Read more »

BadgerCare Plus was one of the best pieces of legislation former Gov. Jim Doyle ever came up with. Although health care on a national scale may be floundering, it’s always good to know the people of Wisconsin have the option of affordable health care — well, until last Friday, that… Read more »

There are certainly times when not disclosing information makes sense: ‘Where did those worrisome-looking stains came from?’ or ‘why did I wake up covered in glitter and hot sauce?’ Political campaign contributions though? Not so much. State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend — ever the defender of all that is… Read more »

The achievement gap between black and white students is widening in Wisconsin. The gap between the two for fourth grade reading proficiency increased by 8.4 percent between 2003 and 2010, while the gap in high school graduation rate increased by 12.4 percent, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Clearly, the… Read more »

This year’s Freakfest party will be my eighth year celebrating Halloween in downtown Madison. That’s right, my first late night State Street experience was the crazed riot of 2005. At the tender age of 15, drunken college students throwing large objects over my head through plate glass windows was probably… Read more »

Ted Koppel, a senior news analyst at National Public Radio, weighed in earlier this week on the decline of the agenda setting news source. Standing in front of some of the biggest minds in media at the 2011 Google Zeitgeist conference, Koppel said that instead of being fed what they… Read more »

“Scotty doesn’t know” is now not only the best line to ever come out of Matt Damon’s mouth, but a new staple for our governor. This is the governor who finds himself in a place of ignorance in the middle of an evolving John Doe investigation. He probably doesn’t like… Read more »

On Sept. 21, America witnessed its justice system at its worst. Troy Davis was executed in Georgia after a legal battle that lasted over two decades. Davis was convicted of murdering a police officer outside of a Burger King where he was security guard in 1989. He had intervened to… Read more »

Not all that long ago, Tommy Thompson epitomized the Republican Party in Wisconsin. After serving an unprecedented four terms as governor, he worked for George W. Bush as the secretary of Human and Health Services before an aborted presidential campaign in 2008. In 2010, he considered running against Russ Feingold… Read more »

One thing every good Badger Herald employee learns when they step into our humble office is that we are, have been and will continue to be an experiment. Experimentation is the force that drives the University of Wisconsin to greatness and recognition around the world. Although UW is often derided… Read more »

“Money talks … especially to black people.” Imagine if this was in the budget waiver of an organization that was ‘dedicated to social justice.’ Would a student organization that released this sort of rhetoric and make other racially motivated comments be likely to receive funding from a public institution in… Read more »

A recent poll shows Wisconsinites are evenly split over collective bargaining rights. Fifty-three percent of Wisconsinites polled favor restricting bargaining rights for public employees, with 45 percent opposing any restrictions. However, with an almost five percent margin of error, the only certain thing those numbers show is that our state… Read more »

Our humble university has decided to capitulate and pay legal costs to an unusual group. No, it’s not a center for diversity. And it’s not my personal party fund either. It’s the Badger Catholic student group. In 2007, the group was turned down for a funding request for religious activities.… Read more »

Last week, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s tribal council had a meeting with Gov. Scott Walker at the Capitol. The meeting concerned the planned Gogebic Taconite mine on the Bad River Watershed, which will blast down to the iron ore and, in the process, create a… Read more »

Ron Paul is the most practical candidate in the 2012 presidential election. If you thought it was impossible for those words to be combined in that order, think again. Ron Paul has a small but growing number of staunch supporters; you’ve probably heard them speaking (or preaching, as some might… Read more »

After Tommy Thompsons’s early defeat in the 2008 presidential run, he witnessed firsthand the political landscape change as the rug was pulled out from under him. As a moderate conservative, Thompson came in sixth place in the 2007 Ames Iowa straw poll and immediately dropped out of the race. The… Read more »

You probably know Paul Soglin, if you know him at all, as the new mayor in town. He began his third non-consecutive stint as the mayor of Madison in April, narrowly defeating fellow Democrat Dave Cieslewicz. Madisonians know Soglin as “the hippie mayor,” a title he earned in the 1960s,… Read more »

Sometimes, I have to swallow my pride, get rid of my mostly fabricated Philadelphia accent and tell the truth: I grew up near Rockford, Ill. After splitting my two years in college between Madison and suburban Philly, far away from the city that has grown to embody recession-era America, I’ve… Read more »

A series of judicial embarrassments, including a physical confrontation this summer, resulted in a public outcry for reform and change in our highest court’s practices. When Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson announced her proposals to the state Supreme Court, there was hope it would do just that. Instead, her suggestions would… Read more »

Republicans don’t want to save the economy. They don’t want to put Americans back to work. They don’t want to get out of the recession. At least not until they see one of their own with their hand on a Bible on Jan. 20, 2013. Sound cynical? Ten years ago… Read more »

“Sorry, but I don’t ever read your stories,” one of my friends once told me. “You start off with a little story about your childhood, and then you talk about poor people.” “I know,” I laughed, “They can be kind of dry. But I also talk about jobs. And taxes.”… Read more »

When Cynthia Archer, the Wisconsin agency official now under investigation by FBI officials, announced her “personal leave of absence” from her post as one of Gov. Scott Walker’s top appointees last month, administration officials refused to comment on the reason for her departure. It was ultimately revealed that Archer would… Read more »

Lips, snouts and assholes, my father used to tell me. These are the integral parts of what we know as America’s signature sausage: the hot dog. So after Justice Patrick Crooks compared open Supreme Court deliberations to making sausage, is it so much the lips and snouts we have to… Read more »

Last Wednesday evening, State Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was at the Inn on the Park with a group of fellow legislators when protesters decided to crash the party. Racine native Miles Kristan and an accomplice with a video camera allegedly barged into the establishment and began shouting at the group… Read more »

I attended high school in a small southeastern Wisconsin town where people got excused absences for opening day of deer and turkey hunting season. Wisconsin is downright cozy to outdoorsmen, and the sports of hunting and fishing exist in an equilibrium with property owners. However, as reported by the Wisconsin… Read more »

As we all know, this weekend marked a grim, sobering milestone in this country’s history. The attacks of Sept. 11 were horrifying, and though at the time many students here could not fully comprehend the tragedy as it happened because they were too young, we have been immersed in the… Read more »

It might be just two weeks into the semester, but for the seniors on campus, it is already a nerve-wracking time. Over the next nine months, they’ll be assessing their options for next year. Will they take some time off to travel? Will they consider undertaking graduate studies? The bravest… Read more »

For years, Don Lemon has been a diamond in the rough at CNN. The dying cable news network, plagued by irrelevancy and low ratings for years, found a steadfast anchor with integrity in Lemon, who anchors a newscast and interviews newsmakers from CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta. This summer, Lemon announced… Read more »

This summer, news blew up that a “glass box” will likely be added to the Memorial Union Theater. The structure would jut out in a mushroom-like shape, encompassing much of the area that sits next to Park Street to the north of the Union.Opponents would like you to believe the… Read more »

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” These words of English writer Evelyn Hall echo my thoughts on the neo-Nazi rally that occurred in West Allis on Sept. 3. While the vast majority of Wisconsinites probably don’t support the… Read more »

Two Wisconsin Republicans, Van Wanggaard of Racine and Dale Kooyenga of Brookfield, have proposed a bill that would use tax dollars to invest in the state’s biotechnology sector. Under the New Generation Jobs bill, 95 percent of the increase in biotech payroll taxes will go to a reserve fund, which… Read more »

Here’s a weird little tidbit about me: I love voting. Some people get a rush from roller coasters, others look forward to seeing live concerts and of course there’s always the sex, drugs and rock and roll crowd. Me? Sure, those things are great, but nothing can compare to seeing… Read more »

The Madison Police Department has recommended that the Mifflin Street Block Party not continue. The city has had a rocky relationship with the event in the past, and students haven’t always fulfilled their duty to keep each other safe. But putting an end to Mifflin ignores the unique role the… Read more »

This summer, while grassroots organizers and big-time fundraisers were orchestrating a recall bonanza, a noteworthy piece of legislation found its way to Scott Walker’s desk, was signed and became law. On July 8, Wisconsin Act 35 made it legal for residents to carry concealed firearms so long as they also… Read more »

When I first told my high school English teacher in Newport Beach, Calif., that I was seriously considering attending UW, she said, “Go. It’s like Berkeley.” It didn’t take me long to understand what she meant. Madison seems to be, at least from my experience here, a very gay-friendly city.… Read more »

The streets of Madison were thronged with Badger fans from across the state in anticipation of the first football game of the season against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels. Tickets on resale sites were marked up to three times their original price for students, and Wisconsinites tried to snap… Read more »

When Standard & Poor’s downgraded the United States’ credit rating to AA+, the effect should have been a sobering one. What S&P argued, and what political commentators have been bemoaning for months, is that deadlock has overtaken Congress throughout President Barack Obama’s time in office. In literal terms, however, the… Read more »

The recent recall elections in our state have made it clear the recall process in Wisconsin needs to be reformed to protect against more costly and unfounded recall efforts. Our state constitution allows the recall of any incumbent elective officer of any congressional, judicial or legislative district (Wis. Const., article… Read more »

When first made aware of Sen. Herb Kohl’s coming retirement, I, no doubt along with many Wisconsin residents, expressed a common sentiment: Oh yeah, that’s right, Wisconsin has another senator beside the doofus that beat former Sen. Russ Feingold. Kohl, the state’s senior senator, is wrapping up his tenure after… Read more »

In all political movements or campaigns, rule number one is not to lose a message. Barack Obama’s 2008 message, “Change we can believe in,” trumped John McCain’s infighting with Sarah Palin. John Kerry’s scattershot 2004 campaign covering multiple issues wasn’t enough to beat George W. Bush’s national security message. I… Read more »

To steal an old phrase from moms: If ifs and buts were candy and nuts … at least we’d have some fucking candy. But all the ifs and buts in the world can’t justify the current Wisconsin recall elections. Throughout the past few months, I’ve heard every justification imaginable for… Read more »

The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees every citizen, regardless of race, wealth, gender or age, the right to have a lawyer represent them in court. However, there is a distinction in law concerning criminal and civil trials. Thus this constitutional right does not protect the right to counsel in… Read more »

On July 22, Anders Breivik killed eight people using homemade explosives in Oslo, Norway, before going on to personally shoot 69 youths on the island of Utoya. Yet Oslo’s mayor, Fabian Stang, informed the world that while Breivik will be prosecuted, he will be punished “with love and democracy.” Stang… Read more »

On my way to the library to work on this column, I passed two men and a woman sitting outside by the dumpsters in the rain. Their clothes were ragged and dirty and they were sitting on a concrete parking divider to avoid the puddles. “What did we get this… Read more »

There is a recent development in higher education that will affect many of our fine students. And their younger siblings. And prospective students in high schools across the state. And hell, maybe even our children and our children’s children. As many of you esteemed readers know, the great states of… Read more »

Dear incoming freshmen, Welcome to the pages of The Badger Herald. With move-in about a month away, chances are the University of Wisconsin is on your mind. As you prepare yourself for the trip to Madison, I encourage you to add a quick read of the Herald’s paper and website… Read more »

Every decade, states are required to redraw voting districts to account for population changes with the results of the latest U.S. Census. In the last 10 years, the state of Wisconsin gained around 320,000 residents, a shift that is not enough to increase our representation in Congress, but substantial enough… Read more »

You are seven years old and your favorite babysitter is moving away. Your parents tell you she has to go, that it is an exciting new time for her and you should be happy and supportive and wish her the best. But you aren’t, are you? Nor should you have… Read more »

For a city renowned for its permanent drunkenness, Madison’s policymakers and public affairs wonks aren’t exactly representative of Wisconsin’s beer-drinking population. In my experience at endless city meetings about the Alcohol License Density Ordinance, which restricts bars and taverns in the downtown core, the only spectators with the perseverance to… Read more »

“Elections have consequences.” This phrase is often used by the victors of an election when passing controversial legislation. I will be the first to admit that I myself have often used this phrase, especially during the collective bargaining debate following Gov. Scott Walker’s election. However, that is not the election… Read more »

The Republican primary race is heating up — in recent weeks we’ve seen the emergence of Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann, pizza mogul Herman Cain and former Governors Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney and Jon Hunstman, Jr., as well as the implosion of Newt Gingrich’s campaign. By this time in the… Read more »

Normally it’s the defendants in a courtroom accused of violence. Recently, Supreme Court Justice Prosser turned the tables when he was accused of putting fellow Justice Ann Bradley in a chokehold. While the allegations are still being investigated, the question coming to mind is why the hell is this even… Read more »

Next week, the National Wildlife Refuge System is holding a conference in Madison that will fine tune the vision for the future of the Refuge System for the next 10 years. It will address recent catastrophes such as the Gulf oil spill and develop a strategy for land acquisition, especially… Read more »

The phrase, “Man, if I could go back to freshman year…” gets uttered a lot in early May. It’s probably because the final days of college are similar to the first days. Exciting, yet frightening. Surreal, yet fun. But when I first walked into Witte Hall I was much less… Read more »

Mass protests, calls for secession from the UW System and shifts in power all made this semester one of the most politically exciting in recent memory. While for some the term is an oxymoron, for the Opinion page, it’s a boon — the more outrageous, outlandish or polarizing the debate,… Read more »

The 2008 presidential primary was the first election I ever cast a vote in. And while myself and 900 or so other Wisconsinites who wanted our politics a little more senile, a little more ballsy and a little more crazy may not have won out, it’s the principle of being… Read more »

I was hesitant to write this article. It’s on a complex, dense issue — which means I’m going to be berated for whatever I say. But over the past year and a half I’ve been writing for The Badger Herald, it’s been the insightful comments (many of which have disagreed… Read more »

I’m not going to speculate about why Gov. Scott Walker didn’t realize what a mess he was getting Wisconsin into when he tried to pass his budget repair bill. To call him unintelligent would be a low blow, but he sure is shortsighted and self-promoting. While trying to tackle the… Read more »

With finals week approaching quickly, libraries on campus grow more crowded and energy drink sales rise as students get down to studying. But the light at the end of the tunnel known as summer break is also near. Over three months long, summer vacation is a time for many students… Read more »

“Despite your claim that we no longer have troubled neighborhoods in Madison, we know from our personal experiences that we still do,” wrote Selena Pettigrew, president of the Allied Dunns Marsh Neighborhood Association. Her quote comes from a letter addressed to then-Mayor Dave Cieslewicz in response to comments he made… Read more »

Like most Madisonians and veterans of Mifflins past, I read with dismay the news that two partygoers were stabbed — leading to “multiple life-threatening injuries” requiring emergency surgery in one case — at this year’s celebration. Equally disturbing is that three police officers were injured — including a female officer… Read more »

The news of Osama bin Laden’s death took us all by surprise. Although he had been the world’s most wanted terrorist since 2001, with a bounty of $25 million on his head, bin Laden kept a low profile. Some even speculated he was already dead. Sunday night’s breaking news that… Read more »

This article is for a great person and a good friend who is currently in the hospital recovering from the brutal low-point of a sunny and warm Saturday afternoon. Waking up early Saturday morning, we were all expecting the worst, with a rainy forecast that had been dogging us for… Read more »

Damn. After four years of making sure the Herald’s opinion page gave fascism its proper due, I think it’s high time I surrender the remainder of my youth to corporate servitude. With any luck, it will feel like mere seconds before I’m coughing up some vital organ on a prime… Read more »

Apparently, I attend Koch University. At least, that’s what a flier from last week’s protest of the New Badger Partnership atop Bascom told me. The flier also had a picture of Chancellor Biddy Martin photoshopped onto the body of Queen Elizabeth. Students against the push for UW-Madison’s independence p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal,… Read more »

While today kicks off the last week of production at The Badger Herald for the spring semester, I would like to take a moment to look forward to the fall. My name is Signe Brewster, and I am the incoming editor-in-chief at the Herald. I am a Minnesota native, life… Read more »

Fear not the changes and reformations to Mifflin this holiday season — the Mifflin Street Block Party will unquestionably maintain its status as the best day of the year. In the midst of 14 revisions, including new beer vendors and bracelet laws, my greatest concern centered around whether the reforms… Read more »

Our campus claims to be an inclusive place. But with last weekend being Easter, and this weekend being Mifflin, I’ve been thinking about how certain aspects of campus life are really, well, exclusive. Take Easter, first. I recognize Easter and celebrate it, but I didn’t go home for the weekend.… Read more »

Is space exploration like a bottle of whiskey? Both are items I’m especially fond of, and that fondness will never make me more employable. The study of outer space and our species’ endeavors to explore it has done very little to resolve humankind’s greatest problems: poverty, war, famine and the… Read more »

This Monday, in a not-at-all out of character message, Biddy Martin tweeted “@alison1690,” “I like the opportunity to learn about and communicate with students in a medium you find appealing.” The next day, our chancellor held an impromptu discussion with student protesters occupying Bascom Hall. Coincidence? Political savvy? Biddy being… Read more »

A recent proposal by Madison Metro, announced last week, intends to modify a number of late-night campus bus services. The changes, set to take effect starting next semester, will impact at least three Saferide routes, namely the 80, 81 and 82, which are used mostly by UW students. The proposal… Read more »

When I was just a young girl and the Florida recount ended up costing Al Gore the presidency, my father thought it was time to take me on his knee and teach me about important types of government dishonesty.A main lesson I remember was about piggybacking legislation, or the process… Read more »

Count, challenge, vet, count, challenge, vet, count… Across the state, in gymnasiums and courtrooms, the process is the same. The battles are different, with the gym crowd recounting by hand the votes cast in the recent Supreme Court election under the careful eyes of journalists, police officers and groups of… Read more »

Last week was bad for the New Badger Partnership’s prospects in the state Legislature. Reps. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, and Robin Vos, R-Burlington, each said they had doubts that the University of Wisconsin-Madison will garner the votes to split from the UW System, casting a pall over Chancellor Biddy Martin’s hard-won… Read more »

We all know “that guy.” He’s in our lectures and discussions, raising his hand with asinine questions and interjecting misguided commentary while professors and TAs are talking. He’s the annoying guy trying to monopolize party conversation by talking over people and one-upping every story. He’s the guy you always try… Read more »

The most appealed-to group in politics is also the most elusive: the middle class. The definition of this socioeconomic group is fluid, and the only thing people can agree on is that they’re not the upper class or the economically disadvantaged. They’re just stuck somewhere, wandering around in the murky… Read more »

At the beginning of this month, JoAnne Kloppenburg declared victory over Justice David Prosser when standing ahead by only 204 votes in the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. Even then, people were discussing how ridiculous it would be to have a recount, saying Prosser was just a sore loser… Read more »

Discussion of the University of Wisconsin’s New Badger Partnership should be about the future, but before we do that, it’s helpful to review the past. Pop Quiz: True or False? If we undid the 1971 System merger, we’d wind up with the same system that Gov. Scott Walker’s budget is… Read more »

Recently, the University of Wisconsin was labeled the nation’s ‘Greenest University’ by a conservation advocacy website, thedailygreen.com. According to the website, UW has invested $48 million in energy-saving projects which has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 16 percent, and reduced water use per capita by 29 percent. Combined with other… Read more »