Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Student Alliance party not acting for students

By Michael Stromquist | Feb. 14, 2010

As I sat in on the annual Student Government debate Thursday, I was all smiles as I took the opportunity to shake hands with old friends on both sides of the aisle and even some former colleagues from Freshman Leadership Council who were hosting the event. Like most UF students, I’ve been happy to avoid the politics and take the best of what SG has to offer: great memories, a chance to serve my community and a great love for my university and my fellow students.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Danger nothing new in Winter Olympics

By Ryan Spencer | Feb. 14, 2010

There was a considerable amount of finger pointing last week after Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died during a practice run for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I saw the video of the crash in which Kumaritashvili flew from his luge after exiting a turn over the 4-foot edge of the track, bounced off a rail and finally smashed head first into a support column – from a speed over 80 mph. He died before arriving at the hospital.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Speed Chatting

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 14, 2010

Chat rooms are so 1990.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Fear Factor: Anti-choice project ineffective, distasteful

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 14, 2010

Today and Tuesday, The Editorial Board suggests you avoid the Reitz Union North Lawn and the Plaza of the Americas — unless your idea of a good start to the week is being harangued by a pack of hungry anti-abortion activists.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Student Alliance’s distribution of flyers is wasteful, irresponsible

By JAKE KING | Feb. 11, 2010

I found the Student Alliance party’s recent distribution of flyers around the Plaza of the Americas and along Fraternity Row unnecessary and offensive. The flyers were placed sometimes on walls or cars (something I personally loathe), but mostly they were just thrown around on the ground.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reader distressed over Student Alliance party’s campaign tactics

By AMY HAMIL | Feb. 11, 2010

I woke up this morning to find thousands of flyers scattered all over Sorority Row. The flyers were anti-Unite Party in their message and excessive in their nature. From what I understand, these flyers were all over campus in massive quantities.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Alligator’s criticism of Michelle Obama’s campaign is unwarranted

By IRIS | Feb. 11, 2010

Way to miss the point of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign in Wednesday’s editorial. There are way more worthy things to criticize than the first lady’s efforts to help America become healthier.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Reitz Union fee will have large effect on undergraduates too

By RACHEL SHAPIRO | Feb. 11, 2010

Let’s look at some numbers regarding tuition and fees. When I started at UF in fall 2008, tuition and fees were $126 per credit hour. Bright Futures Scholarship Program still paid 100 percent of this cost. This year, tuition and fees are $146 per credit hour. That’s a $20 increase per credit hour. This becomes $300 more in total for an undergraduate taking 15 credit hours. At the same time, Bright Futures no longer pays 100 percent of tuition and fees costs but a fixed $126. The $20 increase in tuition/fees had to come from the pockets (or other scholarships) of undergraduates.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Haiti needed help before earthquake

By DOUG JOHNSON | Feb. 11, 2010

After the recent catastrophe in Haiti, it has been amazing to see the result from the Student Body and the rest of the country’s helpers. It is becoming visible — the impact a group of people, especially a group of Gators, can make. But it is disheartening to see that it took a disaster as big as a 7.0-magnitude earthquake to spark this.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts and Laurels

By Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 11, 2010

With spring break only three short weeks away, visions of beaches and bathing suits are already dancing in the heads of the Department of Darts & Laurels.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Student Body should not suffer for Unite Party’s mistakes

Feb. 10, 2010

In November, about 75 graduate students showed up to a Student Senate meeting to voice their concerns about a resolution that would tax students for funds to renovate the Reitz Union.

OPINION | COLUMNS

UF College Republicans does not support animal cruelty

By Bryan Griffin | Feb. 10, 2010

In response to Bruce Friedrich’s column printed Wednesday, I must take a moment to point out the grave inaccuracies in both his perceptions and argument against the College Republicans’ People Eating Tasty Animals event. First, Bruce pointed out that I was not at his forum/speech held at UF in October. While this is true, it does not negate the fact that he did not show up at my event, either. Bruce was quick to make harsh and thoroughly misguided judgments as to the intent of the event and my beliefs on the issue of animal rights.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Put a sock in it

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 10, 2010

This week, the Editorial Board is taking a page out of Bill Maher’s book and issuing a “New Rule” of our own: Celebrities and politicians are no longer allowed to speak in public.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

All hugged out: Crist-Obama hug not that big of a deal

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 10, 2010

Hugs don’t mean much to us.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Iran covering up ‘Lost’ set duplicate

Feb. 10, 2010

The announcement by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of an Iranian surprise that will “punch” the rest of the world and leave them “stunned” was met with an exaggerated yawn this week from a Western media enervated by vague threats from heavily bearded men.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Google Buzz entering social networking realm

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 9, 2010

Social media seems to have settled down into its middle age. People are happily married to their Twitter accounts and Facebook pages, some are stuck with Myspace, their high school sweetheart. A few even ended up with the strange one from the bar like Dogbook or Stache Passion.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Move it, move it: First lady’s exercise campaign unrealistic

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Feb. 9, 2010

Michelle Obama launched the “Let’s Move” campaign to end childhood obesity Tuesday. While the Editorial Board knows the program will succeed to the same extent the “Just Say No” campaign did, we question the methods the first lady plans to use to fix the growing problem by 2020. (She thinks America can kick this habit in a decade? Really?)

OPINION | COLUMNS

Student Government opposes union fee for grad students

By Jordan Johnson | Feb. 9, 2010

During my time as Student Body President, I have constantly tried to work with any student that has an opinion about how Student Government can improve the lives of students at UF.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Animal rights debate to inform students

By Bruce Friedrich | Feb. 9, 2010

As vice president of policy and governmental affairs for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I have debated animal protection issues around the world.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Monday's letter to the editor was homophobic

By Don Kershaw | Feb. 9, 2010

Matt Simons’ letter in Monday’s Alligator absolutely infuriated me. It was so full of fallacies and ignorant homophobic assumptions that I don’t know where to begin.