Welcome back everyone. If you’re reading this, that probably means you are already tired. Having soldiered through nearly half of this semiannual tome to even reach the shores of our fair section, we owe you some pretty stimulating content. Not only do we think we have delivered today, but we want to deliver a relevant, insightful voice on campus every day in this coming semester. Editor Sam Clegg is away relic-hunting in the Andes for the time being, so you will have to make do without his trademark witticisms for the remainder of this letter.
Today marks not only the start of a new semester of college but also the ascendance of new leaders to every office in the land. From the most glamorous positions (president) to the lowliest posts (Badger Herald editorial page content editor), new management will look to make its mark over the coming months.
The issues facing our new president are numerous and at times overwhelming. The economy, Iraq, health care and a myriad other problems threaten our nation while budget woes, faculty retention and a disappointing football season will test Biddy Martin only months into her tenure as chancellor.
Both will rely heavily on their staffs to create and enact policy. We at the opinion page are lucky to have something similar to guide us. There are over 40,000 of you on campus, and your job this semester will be to serve as our advisors. With columns, letters and comments, you will help us decide whether Sherriff Mahoney’s immigration policy is fair and just what to make of this new ASM constitution. You will direct us as we weed through the candidates for District 8 and dissect every detail of the coming state and university budgets. In return, our job will be to provide this university with a medium for its students to opine upon and debate all aspects of life.
With the spirit in which this paper was founded, these pages will be a forum for discourse from parties spanning the political spectrum from Aaron Burr to Alexander Hamilton — though with decidedly fewer duels. This opinion section will be a proving ground where ideas and policies can be freely analyzed, examined and evaluated. This opinion section will be yours.
