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OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts & Laurels

By Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 18, 2010

We know none of you have read anything this week — we realize the Winter Olympics are far more entertaining than any letter to the editor we have to offer — but please pull your attention away from Shaun White and friends for just a second so we can present you with this week’s after-all-one-of-our-columnists-did-talk-about-curling-for-a-little-bit edition of Darts & Laurels

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Facebook Fans: Student’s precedent protects free speech

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 17, 2010

Katherine Evans deserves some recognition, but the usual two-sentence blurb in the Darts & Laurels won’t cut it. Evans, a UF undergraduate, just helped set a legal precedent.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Student Government flier scandal has heroes, villains

Feb. 17, 2010

I thought nothing had the ability to drag me kicking and screaming away from a television when high-stakes international curling was on, but the substantial debate surrounding the Student Government elections at UF this year managed to do the trick.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Alliance party’s lies about Unite should be ignored

By Jillian Moore | Feb. 17, 2010

I was surprised by Wednesday’s letter about how the Unite Party is really the Gator Party, but perhaps it shouldn’t be.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Alliance party genuinely cares about student involvement in Student Government

By Stacey Gray | Feb. 17, 2010

When Hayley Plant decided to ambush Ben Cavataro in Wednesday’s issue of the Alligator and berate him for not knowing the election codes, she forgot to, y’know, read the election codes.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reader calls out creator of offensive flier to apologize

By Keith Dvorchik | Feb. 17, 2010

On Wednesday a hateful flier was posted in the Turlington area on the free speech boards. This flier equated one of the UF Student Government parties with the Nazi Party in Germany through the use of the swastika symbol.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Unite Party disgusted by negative campaign tactics

By Ben Meyers | Feb. 17, 2010

Earlier this afternoon I learned of the new lows campus politics can reach at our university. As you may know, our campus was polluted today with a hateful and bitter message.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Student Alliance party represents necessary change in politics

By Rafael A. Yaniz | Feb. 16, 2010

“It’s time.” That simple phrase means more than just a great video produced by the Student Alliance party. It represents a fundamental change from politics as usual in Student Government. When 80 percent of students do not vote in SG elections, it’s not hard to wonder why they feel SG is out of touch at best and disingenuous at worst when it comes to hearing student voices.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editorial misrepresented demonstration

By Michael A. Schrimsher | Feb. 16, 2010

The “Fear Factor” editorial in Monday’s Alligator labeled the anti-abortion Genocide Awareness Project in the headline as “anti-choice ... ineffective, distasteful”.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Body candidate broke regulation

By Hayley Plant | Feb. 16, 2010

I am fairly new to Student Government, having served as a student senator representing Beaty Towers for merely a semester. Yet I’ve taken it upon myself to learn the necessary rules and regulations when it comes to elections and campaigning. Evidently, Ben Cavataro has not. A couple days ago, Ben Cavataro went door-to-door in The Estates apartment complex. Going door-to-door is not only an inconvenience to those who live in the complexes, but it is also a clear violation of election codes. Ben Cavataro should know this. Such a blatant disregard for the rules is probably why he was recommended for disqualification by the Election Commission when he first ran for office. Anyone who chronically violates the rules that guarantee the fairness of our democratic process, as Ben Cavataro did, should not be running for office.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Unite should stop lashing out at critics

By TJ Boyd | Feb. 16, 2010

Why does the Unite Party get so outraged whenever it is criticized?

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter about Student Alliance party’s name failed to mention Unite’s history

Feb. 16, 2010

Ryan Scott’s letter to the editor Tuesday stated that “as much as changing the name and logo of a party can be aesthetically pleasing, it doesn’t hide the fact that the party is Orange and Blue 2.0.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

America should focus on education

By Joshua Lee | Feb. 16, 2010

The United States is a country that, while undoubtedly a strong and immensely powerful leader in many areas of global society, faces several serious issues as it pushes forward into the future. Beyond issues such as ongoing wars, steady unemployment and reality TV shows giving birth to other, far worse reality TV shows, one specific issue rises above the rest in its level of importance and the amount of immediate action we must take to combat its potential effects. This issue is a growing ignorance by a majority of our population toward confronting and solving the major problems and questions facing our nation today. This ignorance is being supported by an overall lack of resolve and patience, partisan bickering and a tendency for the national consciousness to be distracted and concerned with issues of far lesser importance.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Frivolous Fliers: Student Government should stop wasteful distribution of fliers

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 16, 2010

The Editorial Board always loves when it gets the chance to call Student Government out on yet another thing it’s done that is stupid and completely useless.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Feel Beta Fundraiser too busy stroking egos

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 15, 2010

As Americans, the Editorial Board understands that people stroke egos in exchange for money. When bragging and brown-nosing rears its head in charitable events, however, we have to draw a line.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

NoSCAR

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 15, 2010

Nothing says love like “Gentlemen, start your engines!”

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Alliance party should stop negative campaign

By Ryan Scott | Feb. 15, 2010

Jonathan Ossip’s guest column today was simply a joke. Very funny, Ossip, but we all know you don’t have any friends on Fraternity Row.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Alliance party asks students to contribute ideas

By Yevgen Sautin | Feb. 15, 2010

The Student Alliance party has taken an unprecedented look at the issues. Instead of using regurgitated talking points, we’ve put serious thought and effort into a real platform. Most importantly, the Student Alliance party has focused on innovation and real ideas to improve student life and build a great future for UF.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Genocide, abortion not the same

By PAUL MURTY | Feb. 15, 2010

Genocide is the systematic and deliberate slaughter of a specific race, nationality or culture. This term applies to what happened in the concentration camps in Hitler's Germany, as well as to the slaughter of non-Arabic people of Darfur, Sudan, by the militant government. It does not apply, however, to abortion. No matter how you feel about the issue of abortion, everyone should be able to agree that it is not, at least, a genocide.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Unconditional love not a realistic goal

Feb. 15, 2010

Unconditional love is a strange thing to think about.