Hello, and welcome to the hallowed columns of the opinion page of The Badger Herald. In this section you will find rants, raves, in-your-face opinions and the occasional compelling argument courtesy of our writers. It is here we take what you hear in the news, tear it open and pick it apart to explain what current events mean to us as students. We write about everything that matters and a number of things that may not, from student affairs to local government to national issues.

Along with columns from dedicated students like you (or yourself if you are so inclined, you narcissist, you), in this section you will also find editorials written by the Editorial Board, comprised of students like you, but who spend their whole life in the Badger Herald office yelling and thinking of puns. In these editorials we will give our official stance on topics relevant to the campus area. If you happen to disagree with an editorial, tell us about it in a Letter to the Editor ([email protected]).

If writing a letter isn’t enough for you, become a columnist! The goal of our page is not to jam our beliefs down your throat, but to encourage debate and differing opinions from the UW campus and Madison community. That being said, if you don’t think your views are being represented in our paper, we invite you to join our team to make your voice heard. We will be hosting two new writers meetings on Sept. 7 and 14 at 5 p.m. at the Herald’s office, 326 W. Gorham St. So if you have a critical eye, a way with words and are willing to make a steady commitment for writing, make sure to attend.

Many of you are reading this with newspaper in hand. If that’s too archaic for you, check us out online at badgerherald.com/oped. All of our columns are there for your viewing pleasure. If you don’t care strongly enough about a column to submit a rebuttal but want to express your distaste, leaving a comment will allow you to do just that. Contrary to popular sentiments, comments aren’t just for anonymously ripping writers to shreds; you can also let the writers know when you liked their column. Be nice, or at the very least, rational.

The opinion page is the place where students can talk about issues that impact them, analyze them and hopefully present a clearer picture of them. Welcome to our pages, Badgers, and may we always have something to write about.