Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

One location enough for pizza place

Sep. 10, 2007

Satchel?s Pizza is too damn far away. It?s so distant I?ve run up a string of excuses why I haven?t been lately: "My car won?t start." "My scooter died last week." "My bike tire?s flat." "My shoes have holes." I shouldn?t have to make such claims, but it?s impossible to drive sixteen miles round-trip as often as I?d like. As sacrilegious as it may be, many people think Satchel?s needs a new location.

OPINION | COLUMNS

UF needs better solutions classroom, money problems

Sep. 10, 2007

It?s a new school year, but last year?s problems haven?t shown any signs of leaving.

OPINION | COLUMNS

John Kerry forum not worth our time

By VINCENT MASSARO | Sep. 9, 2007

Would somebody please tell me why, on Gore's green earth, Sen. John Kerry is coming to UF?

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fans: Be louder for opposing offense

By JOHN SEIBOLD | Sep. 9, 2007

I am writing to say I am tired of the fans not getting loud at games until the opposing offense is lined up. By that time, all calls have been made, and we're not very disruptive to their game plan. The good teams, such as Tennessee, will be going with silent counts, hand signals, etc. The crowd needs to be loud when the offense is in the huddle, so it's hard for the opposing team to hear the play and snap count.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Tickets should go to biggest fans

By SCOTT JONES | Sep. 9, 2007

I'm writing in response to Colleen Shea's article in the Friday Alligator. I'm a huge football fan, but I'm not writing to bash her at all. In fact, I thought Ms. Shea's article was very creative and a fun read. What I want to comment on is the fact that her article brings up another valid point: I'm one of the many seniors here at UF who did not receive student tickets this year.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Universities not investment portfolios

By RICHARD GUTIERREZ | Sep. 9, 2007

After some consideration, I must admit I agree with the critics of Students for a Democratic Society's Wednesday protest. We should have done our homework and opened up a thesaurus to see "university" and "corporation" listed side by side as synonyms. I guess we missed a step and forgot that universities are no longer educational institutions, but money-making machines.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

UF investments not grounds for protest

By MATTHEW YOUNG | Sep. 9, 2007

Wherever UF's investment money may be going, it can't be construed to be funding the war in any manner. Money shuffled around on stock exchanges or bond markets never sees the company in question unless the stock or bond is being purchased directly from the company - a tiny, tiny fraction of trading volume and almost certainly not the case.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Drink Up

By Editorial Staff | Sep. 9, 2007

In most people's minds, alcohol and tailgating go together like rum and Coke.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Name Game

By Editorial Staff | Sep. 9, 2007

The battle rages on, and the end is nowhere in sight. As Student Government parties continue fighting over just their names, they delay qualifying for would-be senatorial candidates. This does not bode well for a smooth election season.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts all around

By Editorial Staff | Sep. 6, 2007

We're mad. We have too much homework and too little sleep. Too few beers and too little money. Not enough clothing and not enough laundry money. We're pissed, and we're not afraid to say it. This week, the Department of Darts & Laurels might as well be a crotchety old man - you know, that bald 80-year-old covered in liver spots who yells at those damn kids to get off his lawn. So stay out of our way today as we vent our frustrations in this week's furious-and-fuming edition of…

OPINION | COLUMNS

Even clueless can survive football games

By COLLEEN SHEA | Sep. 6, 2007

What I am about to say has never been said before. I do not believe that anyone, in the history of UF, has expressed the following words, for fear of being a social outcast forever and possibly banished from The Gator Nation altogether.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Not all students back tuition increase

By Scott Erker | Sep. 6, 2007

It was interesting to read the Wednesday Alligator's pro-tuition-increase editorial. I am sure I am not the only one who found it bizarre. The editorial first demanded that UF wants an increase in tuition. Who exactly is "UF" anyway? It is obviously not the students, the majority of whom do not want to pay any more money to the school than they or their parents already do. Some students support an increase, but only if that money is guaranteed to be directed toward need-based grants for students or new faculty hires. The editorial said 12 student government leaders from Florida's public universities went to Tallahassee to talk with Gov. Charlie Crist, and, "about half of the leaders said they would support a tuition increase if it went toward reducing class size or providing need-based scholarships." The editorial also stated Crist did not listen to the students because in May he vetoed a 5 percent tuition increase.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Protest achieved its goals

By SKEET SURRENCY | Sep. 6, 2007

An editorial headline told us that Wednesday's demonstration for transparency was pointless and that it "didn't accomplish much." As a member of Students for a Democratic Society and an organizer of the protest, I'd like to point out that we actually accomplished every one of our objectives for the day.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Donations, investments should be public

By KRISTEN ABDULLAH | Sep. 6, 2007

Thanks for being so one-sided about the protest. Maybe the Alligator should do its homework before reacting so quickly as well.

OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Swamp assigns seats for reason

By Dana Preble | Sep. 6, 2007

As a lifelong Gators fan and UF student, I did not have much fun at last week's football game versus Western Kentucky University. My girlfriend and I had good seats - about 25 rows up - and we were close to the action with a good view. When it was time for kickoff, everyone stood up, and a fun time was to be had by all, right?

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Pointless Protest

By EDITORIAL BOARD | Sep. 5, 2007

We want to start this off by saying we have nothing against protesting. We are firm supporters of First Amendment rights - this newspaper exists because of them, and we've been independent from UF since 1973.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Corporation Nation

By EDITORIAL BOARD | Sep. 5, 2007

This editorial brought to you by Speed Stick deodorant because our office is hot and smelly.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Electricity savings easier than you think

Sep. 5, 2007

If electrical utilities lower their costs by reducing expenses or adopting "green" technology, students have reason to rejoice. Less money for utilities means more for other things, right? Wrong.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Credit cards can cause money troubles for college students

By MIKE PATRONE | Sep. 3, 2007

"Free pizza, free T-shirts, free beer… all you have to do is fill out this form." If you haven't encountered this "deal" yet, you surely will sometime before the end of the semester.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gainesville more than bars, ball games and Butler Plaza

By ALISON POSEY | Sep. 3, 2007

For many, Gainesville is just a temporary home while these individuals seek their degree - a town just small enough so you still have that "down home feel," yet big enough so Saturday nights aren't spent glued in front of a television watching reruns of "Law and Order." However, you can always hear the constant grumblings of students who are sick of the club scene and have walked through the Oaks Mall one too many times.