dailycardinal.com
Spring Farewell Spring 2017
l
opinion
13
Beginning a new era at The Daily Cardinal THEDA BERRY outgoing editor-in-chief
D
SEBASTIAN VAN BASTELAER/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Wisconsin’s guiding principle, “Forward,” can only be upheld by those who fight for what they believe in.
Opinion will always have a place in history books SEBASTIAN VAN BASTELAER opinion editor
T
he two-dozen pieces I’ve written for this opinion page in the past 19 months have been some of my proudest accomplishments since I came to UW-Madison. I’ve been able to use this platform to share my voice, whether it was about politics, sports, school policies or memes (that was a weird one). I’ve spent more time banging my head on my keyboard, trying to bludgeon words out of my head and onto my Word document, than I can count. I have also typed out more dashes—fear not, they’re liberally used throughout this farewell piece—than I can count. Some articles have been eloquent and well-thought out; others weren’t exactly worth reading aloud at the dinner table. With my time at the Cardinal (in this capacity at least) coming to an end, I’ve been reading back over what I’ve written. I’ve been surprised by a lot—I’ve found I don’t even remember, or even agree with, some of my own opinions. It made me realize that, throughout this entire process, I’d only been focused on how I’d felt at the time. I had rarely bothered to wonder why any of it mattered at all. Myriad momentous events have occured over the course of the past several years. Few, however, have been able to hold our attention, as the rest quickly fade into memory as the next news cycle rolls along. So many seemingly earth-shattering pieces of news have arrived, caused widespread consternation and have been quickly forgotten about. The events themselves come and go, as they always have and always will. What tends to stay, however, is the way that the news has made us feel. The two years I’ve worked for The Daily Cardinal, the first spent as a writer full of upright zeal and the second spent proudly presiding over the opinion section, have been some of the most momentous and
significant years of my lifetime. I’ve seen the transition of power from one president, beheld as unfit by many, to one deemed dangerous by another sizable portion. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that budget cuts can have on a proud flagship university. I’ve learned that college referees have it out for the Badgers in all sports, and nothing anyone can say will convince me otherwise. The tumult, drama and division shown both in the U.S. and around the world has been both awe-inspiring and harrowing. It’s been an honor to have been able to witness these events unfold and to be able to speak my mind. Sharing your voice, even if you aren’t the editor of an opinion section, has never been more important. This, of course, is easy for me to say—as somebody who has spent more hours reading and writing opinion pieces than he can even begin to count, of course opinions matter. But they matter most importantly because our opinions, and the way that we manifest them, will be remembered long after we’re gone. As a student of history—rather than a student of journalism, as many of my brilliant Cardinal cohorts are—my responses to the world around us have always been slightly different. When something newsworthy happens, one of the first questions I ask myself is, “How will this event be remembered decades down the road?” The things we do today will someday end up in a textbook, and even those who feel insignificant will have an impact on that particular chapter’s events. It’s always been one of my most firmly held beliefs that, in due time, posterity will vindicate those who stood up for what they fought for—whatever that may be. Even to those who feel anonymous—in their student body, in their local community or even on this planet—the way you acted during this time period will, one day, be reflected upon by those you impacted. If I’ve learned one thing in my
time as a student of history, it’s that every single thing you say or do can and will have an impact on the history of yourself, and your country. Everything from what you say and do to the way you treat those whom you love and who love you will one day help to form an image of who we were as a people in this particular moment in time. Even when it feels like nobody’s watching, history does have its eyes on you (did anyone who knows me really think I wouldn’t make a Hamilton reference before the end of my tenure?). So if you believe that the Earth is flat, that the climate isn’t changing, that UW-Madison shouldn’t bring back baseball or even that our 44th or 45th president is the worst we’ve ever had (either opinion pays a gross disrespect to William Henry Harrison, who literally died a month into office after neglecting to keep himself warm at his own inauguration), far be it from me or anyone to deny you your right to express that opinion. But the worst thing you can do is to not express it at all. When future generations ask who we were, they won’t just look at the major news events—the front pages of the newspaper. Sure, they’ll pursue page 1 to see what news dominated our time. But eventually, they’ll come to the inevitable question: How did contemporaries feel about this? And maybe then, they’ll decide to flip to page 5—or page 6 or 7 or 11 or whatever page the management team decided to assign the opinion section that given day. Only then will they begin to really understand who we were—and, most importantly, what we stood for. Sebastian is a sophomore majoring in history and environmental studies. He’d like to thank all his colleagues, family and friends for their support over the last two years. Through what lens do you view current events? Please send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
uring my year as editorin-chief of The Daily Cardinal, I have spoken and written so many words that in this final column, I am having trouble finding them. Between announcements, posts, messages and conversations with editors, I’ve said more than what I need to say. But, a few things deserve repeating. I am awed every single day, including my last day here, with the dedication and passion of Cardinal staff. I have seen writers and editors work up to and nearly past deadline in order to report on issues essential to students. I have seen editors lay out pages days in advance, just to get it right. I have seen intense emotion regarding everything Cardinal, from word choices to long-awaited denim shirts. I can only hope that in my time as management, I have done for current staff what was done for me. If I have helped make the Cardinal a welcoming place with opportunity for growth for even one other person, I can leave knowing I’ve given back to a place that has been that for me and more. It is impossible to reflect on management without thanking Negassi Tesfamichael, managing editor this year. His patience and understanding as a co-editor are immeasurable. Negassi helped me and the Cardinal to be better in so many ways that I cannot do justice to it in a short column. Despite this year being incredibly difficult, it will be just as difficult to leave this role. I am comfortable doing so because I know the paper will be in the competent and caring hands of Madeline Heim and Andrew Bahl—who have demonstrated their commitment to the Cardinal and desire to make it better. Women editors-in-chief at the Cardinal are too few and far between, and I am absolutely thrilled that Maddy will be taking on the role. Thank you to those who engaged with the Cardinal this year—whether that meant reading one article or working 40-plus hours a week. Theda will be a senior next year, finishing a degree in creative writing. Feel free to send any reflections on the 2016-’17 school year to theda.berry@dailycardinal.com.
MADELINE HEIM incoming editor-in-chief
T
here’s something about The Daily Cardinal that feels like home. It’s something in the way dozens of unpaid staff members stream into the office for hours on end, hungry to be a part of good journalism in action. We feel it when our news team hits the street together to cover a protest, when a pack of sportswriters settles in for pizza and advice from their editors, when our copy chiefs are up late to make sure every sentence is as clean as we want it to be. For me, it’s felt that way from the start—even three years ago when I used to rush straight to the newsroom after covering a student government meeting, every so often giving a timid wave to the management team at the desks where incoming managing editor Andrew Bahl and I will now sit. As I’ve made my way from writer to college news editor to editorin-chief, the paper has grown with me. It made huge strides even in just the last year, where we’ve had another three solid action project issues, learned more about refining our online product in the age of digital news and celebrated our 125th birthday. And although Andrew and I are just one small chapter in a story that began in 1892, we look forward to keeping our best traditions alive and simultaneously pushing our tireless staff toward greater excellence with every headline, page layout and photograph. To our readers, you can expect energetic and thoughtful coverage of critical campus issues. You can count on this paper to accurately provide the information you need to make decisions about what your time here will look like. We ask you, as always, to read what we write. Pick up a copy off the stands and finish the crossword. Go online and learn about UW’s role in the state budget process; find a new favorite song from the arts desk’s record routines; share it all on social media. Use it to start conversations and engage with others around you in the pursuit of an inclusive campus that everyone can call home. This sifting and winnowing for truth—we’re in it together. Madeline is a junior majoring in creative writing and journalism. Please send all comments to madeline.heim@dailycardinal.com.
KATIE SCHEIDT/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Madeline Heim and Theda Berry share their thoughts on the Cardinal.