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.
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.
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.
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.
This editorial brought to you by Speed Stick deodorant because our office is hot and smelly.
It's not just UF that wants an increase in tuition. Twelve student government leaders from Florida's universities met with Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday to discuss tuition increases, among other things.
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.
"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.
Imagine two fairly built girls returning from lacrosse practice at Southwest Recreation Center. They exit the gym with another male student and carry their heavy equipment toward the bus stop. Upon reaching the bus stop, the weather takes a turn for the worse and rain starts pouring down on the girls.
That didn't take long. Call me cynical, but I'm not surprised the Alligator editorial board has started holding Greeks to a separate standard from other students just a week into the fall semester. Underage drinking is illegal. So is smoking pot. But is what happened at Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity any different from what probably happened at dozens of Gainesville apartments that same night?
SG bicycle repair's long lines, small staff unacceptable.
We know, we know - the Alligator has broken your heart before.
As the Florida Gators prepare to take the field this season, you can be part of the team and help show other schools why UF is number one. UF is in a voter registration competition with all Florida public universities.
You're late for school. The time is 9:30 a.m. and you've just pulled onto Gale Lemerand Drive, hoping to find a parking space in the commuter lot. After searching for fifteen minutes, you give up and head to the O'Connell Center lot. Sorry, no luck - this lot is full, too. Despite being a bad way to start the day, thousands of students face this situation. The question is, how do we remedy the problem?
Is it possible to pinpoint the moment when Americans decided boardroom decisions stem solely from deception and derision? Did the Enron debacle of 2004 set tongues ablaze, or have we long had reasons to distrust corporate America?
As a college student, I welcome almost any chance to celebrate. Just a few days ago I celebrated the four-month anniversary of the end of spring classes. My apologies if I forgot to invite you, but don't worry. We had so much fun, we're going to do it again next month. I'll Facebook you.
I know, I know - UF President Bernie Machen has made resolving UF's debt problem his calling card. But despite a cost-cutting task force, a hiring freeze and a tuition plan without immediate short-term benefits, one solution to the problem has not been addressed.
If you haven?t heard of Bo Diddley yet, head over to iTunes and (legally) download a few of his songs. But why should you care about a musician who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and given a lifetime achievement Grammy Award in 1998?
Solutions by The State News
