OPINION & EDITORIAL
A fond farewell to UW
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Also by Matt Modell:
- Taking responsibility for your decisions (April 24, 2003)
- An honorable and just battle (November 20, 2003)
- Fixing the problems of ASM (November 25, 2003)
- The key word is 'illegal' (December 4, 2003)
- A fond farewell to UW (December 11, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Letters to the editor - November 25 (November 25, 2003)
- School Choice hurts public schools (November 7, 2001)
- OK, pop quiz time! (January 29, 2003)
- Michigan fans should get thicker skin (October 21, 2005)
- Letters to the editor -- 2/22/02 (February 22, 2002)
by Matt Modell
Thursday, December 11, 2003
I came to UW-Madison in the fall of 1999. UW had been my ninth choice out of nine schools. But after only being accepted to three schools (UW, Michigan and Wash U. in St. Louis) and visiting each school, I decided to go with my gut feeling and chose UW.
Four years and 50 columns later, it is time to say goodbye. These years at Madison have been amazing.
Madison has taught me to not take life too seriously because we only get one chance and life already goes by too quickly to waste opportunities. The summer afternoons at the Terrace, Pat McCurdy and Flip Night at Brats on Tuesdays, partying at Feathers and, of course, the occasional two-fishbowl nights at Wando’s are all activities that we do not get to do after graduation when working full-time.
Madison has also shown me the wide spectrum of opinions people have in this country. I learned early, though, that a mutual respect for people and not taking ideological differences personally help build both strong allies and good friends.
Unfortunately, despite the differences of opinion, Madison is no perfect haven for diversity of thought. There is no question the campus leans to the left, and students sometimes feel that their options are twofold: Conform to the “Madison thought” or keep your mouth shut because your opinions “negatively affect campus climate.”
This problem was displayed when in 2001 David Horowitz placed an ad against slave reparations that caused an uproar on campus, including some people calling for The Badger Herald to be shut down. When Middle East expert Daniel Pipes came to speak last year, additional security precautions had to be taken because allegedly there were threats made to him, and he was treated with the utmost disrespect during the question-and-answer period.
The sit-ins at Bascom Hall over sweatshops, the protests outside Taco Bell where four times as many people went in to eat than protested and, of course, the “Books not bombs” rally were always fun to observe.
Athletics at UW are second to none. Sports Illustrated declared us No. 1, and anyone who has been to a home football game understands why. The support students give to the athletic teams (even while not always completely sober), the original cheers and the band make football, hockey, basketball and women’s volleyball games memorable experiences.
My father, whose ego is certainly inflating as he reads this, taught me three important lessons before I came to school, and they have all turned out to be true:
1) Stay in school
2) Choose carefully
3) Vote Republican
School is how we create our futures. Without knowledge, neither individuals nor society can progress. It is okay to challenge the status quo and not take no for an answer, but knowledge truly is power.
Choosing carefully applies to everything. Whether picking a major, finding the right friends, prioritizing long-term and short-term goals or marrying the right spouse, many of the decisions we make now will affect the rest of our lives. Choices are abundant, but making hasty decisions frequently has long-term consequences.
My dad is not that strong of a Republican, actually, but I believe he recognized my strong beliefs earlier than I did. If you believe in taking responsibility for your own actions, the freedom to spend one’s own money and the importance of leading the world to greater security by doing the right thing, then this is a good lesson.
These three lessons can take anyone far in life when combined with the help of hard work and a focus on the broader picture.
To those students, administrators and faculty members I have clashed with, I still wish you all the best of luck. As I leave, I hold no animosity. We all have important roles here at UW, and I hope you were all simply trying to do what you felt was right.
All that is left to say is: Thank you, UW-Madison, for an incredible four years and a lifetime of memories. Thank you to all the professors and administrators who promoted freedom of ideas and thought and who genuinely care about students. To my great friends and allies, we did well these last few years. And of course … Go Bucky!
Matt Modell is graduating this semester with a degree in journalism and political science. He can be reached now and post-graduation at mattmodell@yahoo.com.
