If you haven’t noticed, this campus is full of self-important people: the overly ambitious, the politicos and the self-righteous know-it-alls.

I happen to be one of these people. I’m the type of guy who believes anything I deem important is inherently so. I take myself seriously all the time — way too seriously. Taking oneself seriously is endemic among people like me (that is, my peers at The Badger Herald and any other self-proclaimed student activist.)

There is no issue too small for me to have an opinion. Spewing my thoughts on everything from sock color to presidential candidates gives me great pleasure, but how does this affect you?

For the past couple of weeks there have been pithy, opinionated columns every day.

The only thing lacking is a real response. Without response from the “public,” I will continue to vent my personal philosophy as if it were God’s own truth. It is my job to present my ideas for public consumption, but it is not your job to swallow what I say whole. The articles on the Opinion page are not supposed to go unchallenged. With the lack of a steady flow of feedback, it seems the opinion writers are making up your minds for you. If it weren’t so, there would be more letters to the editor, more postings on-line and more e-mail.

The big word at the top of this page isn’t just for Herald writers and disgruntled Associated Students of Madison members. It is for everyone. The term “open forum” has been used in this paper several hundred times this year alone. Why aren’t more of you responding?

The level of apathy amongst the general student population on this campus is a pervasive issue builder for people such as me. It allows us to pick and choose what is important. If you don’t tell us what you want, we will continue to set the agenda for discussion.

The argument of students not being involved enough has been batted around for some time, apparently to no avail. Some student activists believe you don’t have a right to gripe unless you are somehow part of an organization.

I P ersonally, I don’t care if you can’t move any further than from your bed to your couch; if you read something you find interesting or disturbing, write about it. I’m sick of seeing the same acronyms on this page day after day: ASM, SSFC, MCSC. And I would just as soon never hear about segregated fees again. The problem is that the people who care about those things (including myself) are willing to make their voices heard. I truly believe these things are important, but I still get sick of rehashing the same old issues week after week. If you have ever glanced at this page, seen the very acronyms I listed and turned to the crossword in disgust, you know exactly what I mean.

am positive there are issues we aren’t covering that are important to you. If you ever want to see something of interest to you on this page, you need to give us a call or send us an e-mail.

My choices for topics to write about have been reduced to ASM or the war. There has got to be more going on. Must I use inflammatory rhetoric to get a response?

Fine.

I’m looking for a battle of wits, a sparring match between minds. Thus far I haven’t seen any feedback, which truly challenges my beliefs or opinions (I’m talking about you, “concerned”). If you think you have the intelligence and rhetorical skills to best me then bring it on. I’m throwing the gauntlet down; who among you will pick it up?

If you think I’m being harsh then tell me about it. Write me a nasty e-mail, go bang drums in Library Mall, make signs and protest me personally. I don’t care, just do something, dammit. I hope I sound pompous and egotistical enough to elicit some response. I’m spoiling for a fight. I won’t be writing again until after Thanksgiving break — hopefully by then someone out there will have taken up my challenge.

James P. Kent ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in economics and business management. He is the associate opinion editor of The Badger Herald.