In 2005, Congress approved a bill calling for emergency funds to aid in tsunami relief efforts. Unfortunately, tacked onto the bill was what is called the Real ID Act. This sets federal standards for driver's licenses that states are mandated to comply with by December 2009.
For years, I have encouraged others my age to participate in the unfolding, unique experience of a government by the people.
The UF Student Senate passed a referendum Tuesday night to give us the chance to vote on having an extra day off from classes. Yay!
Don't get me wrong. I love baseball as much as the next guy.
After months of speculating, waiting and politicking, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama has finally selected his running mate. Now that Sen. Joe Biden has completed the Democratic presidential ticket, the question is rapidly turning toward the Delaware senator's ability to serve Obama on the ticket. Without a doubt, Biden was the most complimentary choice Obama could have made given his available options.
Here at the Alligator, we just can't wait for the weekend. We know it's only Tuesday, but hear us out. It might only be the second day of fall, but that means that we're four days away from the first Gators football game of the year, and nothing reminds us more of summer than sweaty fun in the Swamp.
If you're anything like us, then you sprint toward the door the second lecture ends to make it back to your apartment in time for Comedy Central's midday hour of "Scrubs." We can't blame you for rushing home so you can attempt to memorize Dr. Cox's obnoxiously long-winded retorts.
During my two years at the Alligator, I've heard all the criticism UF students and Gainesville residents have to offer.
Earlier this year, I attended a handful of rallies for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama. Talking with other participants made it clear that few of them could agree on the specifics of this change.
Fall is finally here, and we are being greeted with some of the old traditions that we've come to hold so close to our hearts.
Congratulations, you made it. You have matriculated to one of the most prestigious public universities in the entire United States. You are now an official member of The Gator Nation. Allow us to offer you a hearty Orange and Blue welcome. We would also like to give you some unsolicited and hopefully useful advice about what to expect and how to take full advantage of the fantastic voyage upon which you are about to embark.
Oh, to be young again, when I thought homework was for pansies, a fake ID was golden, withdrawing from a class would never come back to haunt me and hangovers only lasted an hour, if at all. Just as I did, all you incoming freshmen will have ample opportunities to make mistakes (and hopefully learn from them). And as someone who has been at UF for six years, at the very least I can pass on a little wisdom to all you whippersnappers to help you get the most out of your undergraduate experience.
If you didn't know UF was a big football school the day you submitted your application, you probably figured it out sometime in between jumping up and down in your parent's living room after tearing open your admission letter and watching your mom tear up as she sets your brand new Macbook Pro on your spiffy dorm room desk.
There's a lot of advice I could give you about the next four years of your life. There's a ton of stuff I could tell you that you should or shouldn't do and a mass of truisms I could throw at you about how important education is or whatever. I'm sure you've heard it all before.
You could best describe the current mood at the Department of Darts and Laurels as ambivalent. Summer classes have finally come to an end, and we're stuck somewhere in between nostalgia and euphoria.
Given their Nixon-esque polling numbers, it's safe to say that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are not exactly the most popular pair to grace 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. In fact, only about 25 percent of people think our feckless leader is doing a good job. Incidentally, the same percentage of people predicted that the second coming of Jesus would occur in 2007. I've got a hunch that there's a lot of overlap in those two groups.
Last week, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction compelling UF administrators to officially recognize an organization that openly discriminates against people based on their religion or irreligion, as the case may be, as well as on the basis of gender.
About a month ago, Florida's new "guns-at-work" law went into effect. The law allows employees with valid concealed weapons licenses to keep their guns in their cars while at work.
Solutions by The State News
