Letter to the editor: Every citizen should be alarmed to learn from a recent survey that more than half of UW-Madison undergraduates believe the government should punish or restrict some speech.
Category: Opinion
Mark Copelovitch, Jon C.W. Pevehouse and Jessica L.P. Weeks: Substance and framing of Thompson Center’s ‘free speech’ report are questionable
Column by Mark Copelovitch, a professor of political science and public affairs. Jon C.W. Pevehouse, a Vilas Distinguished Achievement professor of political science and public affairs, and Jessica L.P. Weeks, a professor of political science and the H. Douglas Weaver chair of diplomacy and international relations. All three are professors at UW-Madison.
White Riot
In their paper “Trends in Educational Assortative Marriage From 1940 to 2003,” Christine R. Schwartz and Robert D. Mare, professors of sociology at the University of Wisconsin and the University of California-Los Angeles, wrote that the “most striking” data in their research, “is the decline in odds that those with very low levels of education marry up.”
In a time of social and environmental crisis, Aldo Leopold’s call for a ‘land ethic’ is still relevant
An ongoing reckoning with race in American history has drawn attention to racism in the environmental movement. Critiques have focused on themes such as forced removal of Indigenous peoples from ancestral lands, early conservationists’ support for eugenics and the chronic lack of diversity in environmental organizations.
–Adjunct Associate Professor of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Op-ed: Why we need to improve prison education
Op-ed by UW System President Tommy Thompson about the importance of improving prison education.
Vaccinating the Prison Population Will Help Protect All of America
By controlling COVID-19 cases in correctional facilities, we have a chance to reduce illness and death for everyone and signal to these particular communities that they, too, have a share in the modern-day miracle of COVID-19 vaccines.
–Brent Orrell is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he works on job training, workforce development, and criminal justice reform. He has worked for the United States government for 20 years, including senior roles at the Department of Labor and at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Rashawn Ray is a David M. Rubenstein Fellow at The Brookings Institution and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland. He is on Twitter @SociologistRay. Dr. Howard Henderson is a non-resident Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Professor of Justice Administration at Texas Southern University, and director of the Center for Justice Research. John M. Eason is the Director of the UW Justice Lab and an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Equity gap: Poor colleges serving low-income students need more money
It’s time for federal and state legislators to work together to make targeted public investments, close resource gaps, and address structural barriers to opportunity that have plagued the higher education system for decades and that have been made only more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic and our national reckoning on racial justice. It’s time for a real conversation about equity-based funding in U.S. higher education.
Nick Hillman is associate professor of educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Follow him on Twitter: @n_hillman
UW should be able pay athletes — Christopher Kox
An earlier comment by Chancellor Blank, however, is worth noting. The chancellor stated that if it became necessary to start paying athletes, this would greatly hinder the university’s ability to field teams. This may be so.
Armando Ibarra: Class divisions help explain ‘Latino’ vote
Ibarra is an associate professor at the School for Workers at UW-Madison.
Lisa Jones-Engel: UW-Madison should shut down monkey research
A six-month undercover investigation by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals found widespread suffering and neglect of monkeys held at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center in Madison.
Dig deeper during this season of giving — Jeff Russell
Column by Jeff Russell, Dean of the Division of Continuing Studies, UW-Madison. :The economic fallout from the pandemic has touched all of us, but very disproportionately. Witness recent market highs that will benefit a fortunate slice of society while many struggle mightily.”
Column: The danger of the status quo: How Wisconsin institutions maintain white supremacy
UW’s messaging may support BIPOC, but actions embrace white-centric status quo.
Will Bascom Hall be removed next? — Andrew Khitsun
Letter to the editor: So if I go on campus and call Bascom Hall an offensive name, and if someone overhears that and posts it on Facebook and it goes viral — will Bascom Hall be raised to the ground then? It’s completely obscene and unjustified for the university to dishonor the memory of Chamberlin by removing the rock.
Howard Temin’s research is key to vaccine — Max J. Rosenbaum
Letter to the editor: Once again, I am writing to laud the monumental discovery of reverse transcriptase by the late Nobel Prize winner, professor Howard Temin of the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research at UW-Madison.
Letter to the Editor: Call to Action — UW Administration is Discriminating Against International Student Workers
As of right now, dozens of international student workers are providing labor to this institution that they are not being compensated for, constituting wage fraud.
Rock removal is warmup for Lincoln — Gary L. Kriewald
Letter to the editor: I predict the next phase of their agenda will be the removal of “offensive” names (namely white and male) from all university buildings, which will be the warmup act to the main event: the removal of the Abraham Lincoln statue from Bascom Hill.
Paper shouldn’t have printed slur — Joseph Bazler
Letter to the editor: I’m especially saddened that this usage came in an article where the State Journal’s problematic use of the term in the past was recognized. The article stated that the president of the Wisconsin Black Student Union Nalah McWhorter “also faulted the Wisconsin State Journal for printing the vulgarity in a 1925 news article.”
Removing rock won’t remove racism — George Savage
Letter to the editor: Most students are not even aware of the boulder that sits atop Observatory Hill. Virtually no one knows the racially derogatory name it was apparently known by in the 1920s.
Opinion: Wisconsin’s law enforcement officers are leaving in droves. Here’s what we can do to keep communities safe.
Ryan J. Owens is an attorney, the George C. and Carmella P. Edwards professor of American Politics, and the director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He writes this in his personal capacity.
Jessica Lipaz: The purpose of higher education must be refocused for economic evolution
Column by Jessica Lipaz, a senior at UW-Madison double majoring in education studies and philosophy.
Heed UW Health’s urgent call to action — John Finkler
Letter to the editor: With the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, their open letter really said it all about the current COVID-19 emergency situation in Wisconsin. It said so clearly what people need to do to help and make a difference. Immediately.
Don’t waste money on removing a rock — John Luther
Letter to the editor: It appears UW-Madison is planning to spend lots of money to remove a historical rock planted on the side of Observatory Hill many years ago during glacial times. This action is another example of bowing down to the vocal minority.
Column: COVID-19 intensifies early leasing season amid campus uncertainty
Early lease renewals, rental search process should be pushed back given pandemic precautions, uncertainty
Column: Once released, COVID vaccine must become mandatory for all UW students
As two vaccine trials make news this week, Wisconsin, UW need to create comprehensive plan to distribute vaccines effectively.
Column: Understanding COVID-19 long haulers essential to documenting true campus outbreak
UW should make efforts to track recoveries, long-term symptoms of infected students.
Column: What post-Thanksgiving break should look like at UW
As students look forward to remainder of fall semester, student unions, residence facilities should remain open, barring health concerns.
Infections on UW team mirror state — Dennis McGilligan
Letter to the editor: The state, like Wisconsin football, is setting records we don’t like: Rising COVID-19 cases, record hospitalizations, more deaths.
Diane Farsetta: UW can do the right thing for fixed-term employees
Letter to the editor: UW System policy sets one year as the default length for fixed-term appointments. Other UW campuses set the minimum position length at one academic year. UW-Madison can and should do better.
Column: Students should not bear responsibility to monitor others following Smart Restart failures
Introduction of campus influencers may decrease outbreaks, but only once UW takes accountability for inconsistent enforcement of rules.
Can UW students still celebrate Halloween during a national pandemic?
As COVID-19 cases spike in Dane County, here are ways for UW students to celebrate Halloween safely.
With new hybrid education, UW should implement more effective means of teaching
Online lectures are lacking effectiveness due to unpreparedness, fruitful remote education must be prioritized over other campus activities.
Column: Chancellor Blank needs to ensure greater oversight, additional representation within UW committees
Following list of demands from UW BIPOC committee, Chancellor Blank must implement student safety committee, among other demands.
Barry Burden and Reid Ribble: Be patient as the votes are carefully counted
The election of a U.S. president is complicated. Though the voting ends Nov. 3, at that point the process of presidential selection is just getting started. It takes weeks for the institutional machinery to crank. As eager as we at the end of a long campaign season to know who won, it is imperative to let the system work as we intended.
Letter: Chronic animal welfare violations at UW-Madison demonstrate need for animal testing alternatives
Following the most recent complaint of animal welfare violations, the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC) has established a pattern of violating federal standards. Their growing history of offense throws into question the effectiveness of primate research given its parameters and invites transition to more innovative, morally sound alternatives.
Letter: State could learn from UW campus
UW-Madison students are among the brightest anywhere. New students learn quickly with drastic measures enacted to force them to adopt these actions.Public health experts should believe it really does work.The rest of the state should take note.
A call for action: UW BIPOC Coalition demands justice
Included in the message was a “Protest Card” that listed guidelines that, should organizers fail to follow, may result in “conduct action and/or arrest.” The friendly tone of the email did not mask the malice behind its intent and we, as organizers, understood what we were being threatened with — “comply by our rules or face consequences.”
Appealing to evangelicals, Trump uses religious words and references to God at a higher rate than previous presidents
As a scholar of political communications, I believe Trump’s evolving use of religion in speeches fits into a strategy to appeal to an important part of his voting base: religious conservatives
-Ceri Hughes, Knight Research Fellow, UW-Madison
Doing this one thing helps community college students transfer to a 4-year university
It needs to be the new normal to make sure transfer students are seen as individuals with talent and a contribution to make through the transfer pathway. They are more than numbers. Elizabeth’s and Dominic’s stories illustrate the difference that genuine personal relationships with advisers and faculty at four-year colleges can make to chart a successful transfer.
By Xueli Wang, UW-Madison
Letter to Editor: UWDC urges UW to divest from fossil fuel use
With time ticking before effects from climate change are irreversible, UWDC calls for support to move UW campuses away from fossil fuels.
Connor Nikolay: The Big 10 puts profit over safety
Letter to the editor: The Big Ten has voted to play football starting Oct. 23 under strict guidelines. While many football fans are happy about this decision, public health officials are left to worry about the fallout.
UW Police have earned confidence — Sue Riseling
Column authored by Sue Riseling, associate vice chancellor and UW chief of police, 1991-2016.
Letter to Editor: Student activists are tired of Blank’s failures to address racial injustice on campus
TAA, UW BIPOC Coalition intend to address Chancellor Blank’s refusal to defund UWPD, remove Abraham Lincoln statue in rally this Friday.
Column: UW must take COVID-19 more seriously, abandon plan for hybrid education
After Chancellor Rebecca Blank issued mandatory two-week quarantine, UW must follow suit for rest of the semester, remain fully online.
Column: With less energy from ‘Zoom Exhaustion,’ UW needs to invest in their students
As students struggle to maintain academic performance through online learning, UW faculty must create additional means of support.
Ion Meyn: The playbook to avoid accountability for state acts of violence
Meyn teaches civil procedure, civil rights, wrongful convictions, race and the law, and trial advocacy at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His scholarship examines race and class-based disparities that inform
Tommy Thompson and Andrew S. Petersen: UW System is keeping COVID-19 in check
With the UW Board of Regents, we imposed a mask-wearing mandate on campus, and our students are taking it seriously. We’ve seen them — they’re even wearing masks walking down the street or riding their bikes. Our university leadership, faculty and staff also are modeling this important behavior.
Column: Among other measures, UW must include additional training dedicated to racial inclusivity
Following conclusion to Breonna Taylor investigation, UW should mandate additional racial sensitivity training to faculty, students.
Andrew Bent: Don’t leave forests out of land management in southern Wisconsin
Column by Andrew Bent, a professor of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a prairie and forest landowner, and a frequent volunteer with the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
Column: With social life looking different, students should consider joining Greek life
As many UW students seek new connections while maintaining COVID-19 guidelines, joining sororities, fraternities may be their answer.
Dane County and UW need a united front against the coronavirus
Easy, guys. Instead of pointing fingers, let’s acknowledge that the novel coronavirus has been hard to control, and no one is really sure where the pandemic is heading. We hope a reliable vaccine will emerge soon.
Honorlock at UW-Madison presents privacy concerns, perpetuates harmful learning environment
As schooling has been largely moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students across the nation are voicing their concerns about the use of digital surveillance programs to foster academic integrity. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, students are specifically calling for the ban of Honorlock, an online proctoring service “that supports integrity, makes test-taking less stressful and saves everyone time and hassle,” according to their website.
Bungled quarantine in Witte and Sellery
Purge sirens roared from Sellery Residence Hall as UW chancellor Rebecca Blank implemented a mandatory quarantine for both the Sellery and Witte residence halls beginning Wednesday night due to the recent high rates of positive COVID-19 test results on campus.
Op-Ed: Clerking for Justice Ginsburg, we learned about the law — but also about love
With marriage, as with everything else, the justice set a high bar. She tirelessly championed righteous causes and lofty ideals, and also devoted herself to the family she adored. She inspired millions of people she never met and also enriched the lives of those of us who were lucky enough to know her. It is difficult to lose her, especially now. But we know the best way to honor her is to try to live as fully as she did, embracing the values she held dear.
Miriam Seifter and Robert Yablon are associate professors of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. They clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2008-2009.
Two leaders urge colleges to encourage student voting
Chancellor Blank and Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow: If you are leading a college or university right now — or if you are making the academic year possible as a member of the faculty or staff at any one of our nation’s institutions of higher education — asking something more of your students in the midst of a global pandemic may seem impractical. But one assignment cannot wait. We urge you to encourage your students to register to vote, to become informed of the issues and the candidates, and to cast a ballot
Big Ten football is welcome distraction
Big-time college football is on its way back to Wisconsin, and not a moment too soon. The Big Ten’s decision Wednesday to play a fall season starting in October is exciting and welcome.
Kaleem Caire: It’s long past time for UW-Madison to hire a Black athletic director
Barry Alvarez turned UW-Madison into a consistent winner and contender in Division I sports as a coach and athletic director. He put fans in seats, recruited successfully and dramatically raised the revenues of the athletic department, and the visibility of the university in general. He will go down in history as one of the greatest athletic directors of all time. This is not about him.
Tom Oates: Big Ten finally gets football right after earlier wrong
In the end, the Big Ten Conference got to the right place.
UW-Madison put region in danger — Margo Redmond
What was the UW-Madison administration thinking when they invited students from all over the country (and world) to come to Madison for a mix of in-class and online courses?
UW, Madison safety regulations demonstrate severe unpreparedness as new cases skyrocket
To reopen or not to reopen — this was the question plaguing university administrators nationwide ahead of this fall semester amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardinal View: What did you expect?
As we have all experienced over these six months, the COVID-19 crisis has upended normalcy. From remote working to virtual learning, the loss of healthcare to the loss of loved ones, the coronavirus has forced us all to operate under a new, frightening reality. At the same time, it has brought into crisp focus our society’s greatest inequities and our leaders’ misplaced priorities.