Thank you for opening up your first edition of The Badger Herald, the publication more University of Wisconsin students turn to than any other. You will find our paper on newsstands around campus and the city five days per week, and we hope you will take the time to pick it up every day.

The Badger Herald maintains a tradition of quality and excellence on campus with a staff that is committed to pushing the envelope, keeping students informed and challenging them to perhaps look at things from a different angle.

You are coming to Madison at a time when more people — your parents probably among them — are increasingly becoming concerned over the safety of the campus area. Last spring, all of us were stunned by the devastating news that 21-year-old Brittany Zimmermann was killed inside her home just a couple blocks off campus. Before that, Madison activist Joel Marino was found dead in his neighborhood near Lake Monona, again just a few short steps away from campus.

If you are from outside of Wisconsin, the extent to which you gathered information on these tragedies was likely limited to 24-hour cable news channels. I was troubled by the labels placed on Madison at the time: scary headlines and flashy graphics these networks used to try to draw their beloved 25-54 age demographic in.

Guess what? The sun still shines in Madison.

Brittany and Joel’s deaths were tragic and did indeed shake the entire campus. Even in our newsroom, some of us struggled to report on these homicides that occurred just a couple doors down the street.

But the campus community came together. Students who knew Brittany and even those who did not participated in a vigil in her memory. We all got up and went to class the next morning, certainly not forgetting about Brittany but also not worried that an innocent life would be taken every single day. We’re more cautious about walking home late at night — we’re looking out for each other.

Don’t come to Madison thinking this is a hotbed for crime. Don’t ignore the necessary safety measures when you get here, but don’t be scared to come to this beautiful city and campus. Come enjoy the view at the Memorial Union terrace, jump around at Camp Randall Stadium, learn to climb Bascom Hill without stopping, master the art of Flip Cup and Beer Pong and, yes, you should probably go to class from time to time.

We look forward to bringing you the latest news and information every day. Thanks for reading now and we’ll see you in Madison soon!

Tom Schalmo

Editor in Chief

Two editing errors in the original copy were corrected. Spaces were missing in “every day.”