It’s a new semester, and with a new semester comes new things to rant about. Below are the Editorial Board’s stories to keep an eye on in the city and campus throughout this spring:

Ray crosses center stage

It’s honeymoon season for Ray Cross, president designate for the UW System.

When his appointment was officially announced on Jan. 10, Cross spoke with enthusiasm about the new role. In an interview with The Badger Herald, he said he looks forward to bringing a renewed focus on openness and transparency to the office, while looking to maintain connections with system students.

In his term’s infancy, Cross seems accessible and optimistic about the future of the system. But as whimsical as the incoming president’s Twitter feed is and as many higher education buzzwords as he strings together, this board looks forward to seeing what substantive policy initiatives Cross has on deck.

It’s a time of change for public education (some might even call it a crisis) as state support for education continues to decline, faculty continue to depart UW schools for higher paid positions at other institutions and some question whether a college degree is even worth the price tag.

Cross was the best man for the job, and we’re happy to see the candidate with roots in the state’s education system win out against the other white, male candidates who were vying for the position (and even happier that the ALEC-backed Kentucky Council of Postsecondary Education President Robert King took himself out of the running).

Cross will face an early test in his interactions with state officials. It’s critical that the UW System president be adept at collaborating and working with lawmakers that can at best be oppositional to his policy goals and at worst be actively hostile to UW-Madison and the system as a whole.

We hope Cross proves to be the strong, visionary leader the UW System needs.

Spring election promises “high” turnout

Nothing helps get out the student vote like the allure of legal highs, and with current County Board Supervisor Leland Pan, District 5, facing opposition from former College Democrats Chair Chris Hoffman, this board will be watching how the spring elections pan out.

We also question the timing of this referendum, as the spring elections see significantly lower turnout than the fall elections. It’s also doubtful how influential a rallying cry of “LEGALIZE!” from liberal Dane County will prove in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

We’re hoping this pipe dream of a referendum does not overshadow the more serious items on the ballot, particularly the nonpartisan redistricting referendum spurred by the gerrymandering clusterfuck of 2011.

Pan and Hoffman face the formidable task of mobilizing students who don’t typically give a shit about county politics. It’ll be interesting to watch these campaigns shape up before the April 1 Election Day.

Slate remains Blank

Less than a year ago, campus was eagerly awaiting the selection of UW’s next chancellor. After Interim Chancellor David Ward’s less-than-exciting tenure, much of the UW community, including this Editorial Board, was looking forward to a more dynamic and engaging chancellor.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s first semester in Bascom Hall was rather uneventful. After a semester to get acclimated at UW, it remains to be seen whether Blank will now dive deeper into university policy.

Blank’s suggestion to raise out-of-state tuition will be an interesting story this semester. In her “State of the University” address to Faculty Senate, Blank proposed UW could increase out-of-state tuition to more accurately reflect the value of a UW education.

Blank also brought up the need for increasing UW’s private donor funding stream in the face of reduced state funding and a mandatory tuition freeze. While UW receives a substantial amount of federal research grants — more than half a billion dollars in 2011-2012 — private funding can be used on projects that otherwise would not be possible.

Revelry’s success TBD

In the Revelry Music and Arts Festival’s first year, with the loss of the Mifflin Street Block Party still fresh in students’ minds, it was hard for organizers to catch a break.

Despite a shortened timetable, limited funds and heightened scrutiny from students, Revelry was far from the failure many hoped it would be.

In just three-and-a-half months, organizers managed to book Hoodie Allen, Toro Y Moi and Chance the Rapper to headline the event. Now, with an entire calendar year to plan and raise funds, expectations will be higher.

With the public face of the festival still fairly dormant, it’s hard to gauge whether the extra time will actually benefit the event.

With the relative success of last year’s event, Revelry could have a promising future as a fixture of campus life. However, it remains to be seen whether Revelry’s organizers will fully capitalize on the additional time to book acts and raise money.

Just like Revelry’s location, headliners and ticket prices, the event’s success is TBD.