OPINION & EDITORIAL
Meet the editorial board: Benjamin Thompson
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Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- Madison's annual hip-hop conference falters (April 14, 2003)
- Dear Dave: Post this near your desk (April 17, 2003)
- Politicking destroyed opt-out's proponents (April 14, 2003)
- Don't Cut Historical Society Funds (April 29, 2003)
- Redirecting control (April 23, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Feedback fiends reach 80 posts each (December 7, 2001)
- Who We Are (June 19, 2001)
- Meet the editorial board (January 22, 2002)
- 'Concerned' reaches 100 (December 17, 2001)
- Opinion page needs more guest feedback (March 30, 2006)
by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
A
particularly nasty feedback to a Herald editorial last fall about accountable
student government labeled me as "Badger Herald Rent-a-Cop Ben
Thompson." Apparently the author, no fan of our editor in chief, was
convinced I was merely the underling sent to enforce our editor’s wishes.
While
I found the title amusing, I also knew it was entirely untrue. While the
Editor-in-Chief and myself were in strong agreement on this particular issue, I
have my own vision for the Herald in general and Herald editorials in
particular.
The
Herald was founded as a challenger to the liberal establishment in Madison —
the true rebel to emerge from the Vietnam era. It was the audacity and
fearlessness that defined the Herald, not necessarily the conservatism. I am
convinced that had our paper been transplanted from UW to Texas A&M, it
would have liberal, not conservative, roots.
This
skepticism of the status quo has and will continue to define the Herald. Herald
editorials should hold student government accountable, question just where
students rank on the administration’s agenda and look for new solutions to this
campus’ drinking problem.
Above
all, the right to free speech must be championed, for without true intellectual
diversity we can never discover why we believe what we believe. That is a truly
dangerous place to be, especially if you are right.
As editorial editor, I lead daily editorial board meetings and coordinate and edit each editorial, in addition to the weekly column I have penned since fall 2000. I am a senior majoring in political science and will graduate in May.
