I attended the talk on campus with Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday, one of a series of events hosted by the Bob Graham Center here at UF. If you haven’t looked into it, the center has a video archive on its site, and it has brought in a number of interesting and important Florida political figures.
Someone once told me universities were microcosms of our society as a whole. A large group of individuals with varying interests work, live and play under the same banner — in this case UF — and even get the opportunity to govern themselves. However, at UF it raises a fascinating question. If our little society is representative of society as a whole, why is it that we have such a difficult time with the concept of democracy?
Last week, I wrote about the Taco Libre Party, an offshoot of the Students Party whose goal is to bring a Taco Bell to UF’s campus. Upon closer inspection, though, it was clear that the Taco Libre party is the creation of frustrated opposition members trying to generate interest in Student Government in the shadow of the domineering Swamp Party.
Two weeks ago, MSNBC president Phil Griffin apologized to Reince Priebus, head of the Republican National Committee, for a tweet sent out by the network’s official Twitter account.
Valentine’s Day gets a bad rap.
A bipolar man and reformed alcoholic kidnapped his son while his wife was at work one day. He didn’t get too far, though.
The motto of the informative and highly addictive TED Talks is “ideas worth spreading.” Gainesville’s independent offshoot — TEDxUF — had plenty of ideas worth writing home about. Some of the area’s best and brightest took to the stage Saturday and shared their experiences, concerns and hopes for the future.
One good quip that came from John Mayer’s song “The Heart of Life” was “Fear is a friend who’s misunderstood.”
Like most students, I rarely pay attention to UF politics. However, when someone promises me there’s more than what meets the eye, I try to understand what’s going on.
Syria is rife with civil unrest. Many archaeological sites have been looted, museums are being damaged, and artifacts are being stolen. During times of war, cultural heritage is left defenseless. Islamic landmarks like the Umayyad Mosque, the old city of Aleppo and the Krak des Chavaliers — a crusader castle — have all been damaged by bombs and theft.
Is Gov. Rick Scott so concerned about his chances at re-election that his appointees need to prevent early voting on UF’s campus? After the Florida’s Division of Elections announced last week the Reitz couldn’t be an early voting location for Gainesville’s upcoming municipal elections, it certainly appears that way.
If you Google “Valentine’s Day sex,” you’ll get about 312 million results. That’s a lot of ideas.
There are two kinds of people: those who will admit they care about fashion and those who care about fashion but don’t know it.
A rising tide to lift all yachts?
“Lame duck” is too misleading a description of the remaining years of President Barack Obama’s time in office. Labeling a term “lame duck” implies that nothing will get done in Washington, and everyone knows it. The truth is, nothing will indeed happen, but the chief executive will try everything in his power to convince you otherwise.
Last week in the Alligator’s GatorAid advice column, Leslie Cole responded to an anonymous student’s question, “I’m a girl, but I’m not 21. What are good old-fashioned ways to have fun without drinking?”
As Gov. Rick Scott gears up for his 2014 re-election campaign, his primary focus has shifted away from dealing with the many critical issues our state faces. Instead, he has decided to devote the bulk of his energy toward fundraising for his re-election bid in advance of the November election.
The U.S. federal government is not known for always making the best choices. In some states, it’s legal to marry your first cousin but not a member of the same sex. However, one of America’s biggest flubs is the propagation of alcohol and the criminalization of marijuana.
It’s OK to like labels on things other than clothes — or really, on anything but your clothes — because those things can be itchy and uncooperative. Some people say labels are limiting, but I argue they are liberating. As humans, it is easier for us to categorize things. Labeling helps us process the world around us, as well as ourselves.
With the national spotlight often on Floridians like Casey Anthony and Terry Jones, there’s not much we can be proud of. The Sunshine State isn’t exactly known for its positive contributions. However, there is one exception, and we recently marked its 50th anniversary.
Solutions by The State News
