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Monday, August 04, 2025

Opinion

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Stay lean and green this semester with Meatless Mondays

Starting college can be an exciting yet daunting experience. It’s not surprising that with all the stress that comes with it, some new students gain the dreaded Freshman 15. A study published in Nutrition Journal found that nearly a quarter of freshmen gain at least 5 percent of their body weight during their first semester, an average of about 10 pounds in just a few months.   


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Koch brothers influence on FSU sets risky precedent

Despite never having held any elected office, Charles and David Koch are two of the best-known, most influential political figures in the U.S. The brothers, who own and operate the megacorporation Koch Industries, have spent vast amounts of money on political advertising and campaign donations in recent years. 


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Economy damaged by Current method of calculating trade deficit

Last year the U.S.-China trade deficit was $318 billion. The U.S. Department of Commerce calculates the deficit by subtracting the value of what we import from what we export, which accurately calculates the overall trade deficit. However, this method is misleading and potentially damaging to the U.S. economy.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Gerrymandering: a roadblock for representation

It’s no secret that Americans are frustrated and disillusioned with Congress. A recent Gallup poll found that a whopping 83 percent of Americans disapprove of the federal legislature’s performance. In another poll, Gallup found that just 19 percent of Americans believe most members of Congress deserve to be re-elected, nearly a historic low.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

In Defense of the Ice Bucket Challenge

Just a couple of weeks ago, I logged into my Facebook and saw that I was tagged in a friend’s status. It was a video of someone pouring a bucket of ice water all over herself and nominated me, along with a few others, to participate in something called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. 


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Locals: Pay attention to Plum Creek

If you’ve seen the eastern half of Gainesville, there’s no question that we are home to seriously impoverished areas. A lack of quality jobs and economic development keeps the area depressed and few — if any — local leaders currently hold the key to solving the never-ending crisis. Some Gainesville residents are pinning their hopes to a company who owns more land than anyone else in Alachua County.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

See your opinions in print: Become a Fall 2014 columnist

There’s never been a better time to become an Alligator columnist — OK, maybe that’s a hyperbole. Regardless, as we prepare for Fall 2014, we have a lot of unanswered questions: Who will win the Florida gubernatorial election? Will Amendment 2 (that one about medical marijuana) pass? Will voters overturn the Florida gay marriage ban? Will Pitbull do us a favor and just run for governor already?


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Redistricting leads to gridlock in Capitol

Throughout the school year, students are rewarded for their hard work with occasional breaks from the rigors of academia. Following the grueling ends of each semester, we are released from the clutches of term papers, exams and presentations to spend a few precious weeks relaxing and recharging our batteries. 


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Hamas hasn’t and won’t respond to Israel’s plea for peace

You walk into a restaurant at 6:55 p.m. in anticipation of your 7 p.m. date. When 7:10 p.m. approaches, there is no sign of your date. And when you cautiously pick up the phone to call, there is no answer. You wait a little longer and call again. Someone picks up the phone, and within a mere second, the call is ended.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Negative ads undermine FL gubernatorial race

Unless you’re a TV-less hipster (getting all your shows on Hulu/Netflix/HBO Go — yeah, we’re on to you), you’ve been bombarded with the predictable mud-flinging political ads as November elections draw closer and closer. As they’d have you believe, Rick Scott is a reptilian warlord in a human skin suit, and Charlie Crist is a slick turncoat pushing for education cuts. 


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

World events don’t need US’ blessing

America must come to grips with an uncomfortable reality: Our world influence is beginning to wane. The two main crises that have dominated the airwaves for the past few weeks, the Malaysian Airline downed by Russian-backed Ukrainian separatist forces and the latest chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have made this development perfectly clear. We have overstretched, overreached and overplayed our influence for too long.  


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