Scanning the Student Government ballot Tuesday, I was extremely pleased to see the referendum for the creation of a committee to advise UF's Board of Trustees on socially responsible policy.
I was told, "You are a woman, you have no voice," by a campus preacher on Turlington Plaza Monday afternoon. I was outraged. I was even more disgusted by the preacher's wife who stood in the distance saying nothing. I was also called a drunkard, a whore and a scantily dressed woman. I was pointed out by one of the preachers Tuesday while walking to class and bombarded with the same accusations. I was certainly not the only one.
Be careful when traveling by plane for Spring Break this year. I wouldn't want to hear about any UF students getting detained by airport security with any inappropriate substances or, better yet, getting kicked off the plane for being "too pretty."
As a freshman in 2005, I took state Sen. Mike Haridopolos' course on state politics, and I can say with confidence that he is a caring and competent teacher. He commuted to Gainesville to lecture and could always be reached when he was not here. On this front, he deserves more respect than the Alligator has given him.
Americans have little to cheer about or believe in these days. The list of reasons to have lost faith in our republic is inordinately long and spectacularly depressing. Whether it's the incomprehensible incompetence of the government's response to Katrina, contentious elections rendering dubious results, complete disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law, the denigration of the environment, the use of torture on "enemy combatants" (whatever that means), the exponential increase of wealth disparity, steroids in baseball, "Spygate" in football or the quicksand quagmire that is Iraq - the American people have good reason to be despondent.
First, it was President Machen's bonus on the eve of a budget crisis that angered those of us who have put in many years of hard work into this university.
The students that actually took the time to cast their ballots on the first day of the Student Government elections were met with some confusing and seemingly out-of-nowhere questions in the form of referenda and a constitutional amendment.
As a UF alumnus and current graduate student, I was angered at the news of the hiring of state Sen. Mike Haridopolos. That anger turned to rage as I read the "Inside UF" section with a little epithet from our friend Bernie about the looming budget crisis and $47 million shortfall expected next year. His plan for everyone else is to ask every college to make 6 percent "general" cuts to its departments, not "across-the-board reductions." However, he is personally taking action by drawing a $300,000 bonus for himself and overpaying an under-qualified professor to teach political science while he works on his Ph.D. part time.
As a UF student, I have been interested in the controversy with online voting that has unfolded in recent weeks. I sympathize with both sides and see valid points all around concerning the issue.
Apparently, state Sen. Mike Haridopolos is such a riveting lecturer that UF couldn't let a silly thing like an appearance of conflict of interest get in the way of offering him a position - even if he is poised to become the Senate president in 2010.
Has an authority figure ever forced you to try something you were almost positive you couldn't do?
With college basketball talking brackets, baseball season preparing to get into full swing and college football's spring practice looming, it's about as good a time as any to take a break from the sports world.
As a Kosovan-Albanian who has lived through the horrors of the Serbian occupation of Kosovo in the '90s, I am very disappointed that Mr. Jurich misled the Gainesville community Friday by suggesting that the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Germany and other western countries are sponsoring terrorism by supporting Kosovo's independence.
The Alligator threw a dart to the State Board of Education Friday regarding its decision to amend proposed state science standards to include the qualifier "scientific theory of" before the term evolution.
In case you haven't already guessed based on all those flier-pushers lined up across campus, it's that time of year again - the always entertaining, sometimes irritating Student Government elections.
The pro-life display this week on campus was the most insensitive thing I have ever witnessed. As a grandchild of Holocaust survivors, I am deeply offended by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform and Pro-Life Alliance's attempt to compare the Holocaust with abortion.
I was saddened to read Matt Meltzer's response to the Alligator's take on the Miss UF pageant in yesterday's paper. How does "well-rounded" mean hot? Look, it's great that these girls are judged on more than just beauty - but that's the whole point. It doesn't matter if you've solved the energy crisis or can give a lecture on string theory. If you aren't pretty, no one cares. You don't qualify, you aren't a good role model and you don't get any money.
I have discouraging news.
I am Serbian-American, but I speak as an American, not as a Serb, when I say America and other Western nations have made a grave mistake supporting the independence of Kosovo. Not only is Kosovo illegal under international law, but the U.S. is also helping establish a dangerous Islamic state in the heart of Europe as we fight the war on terror.
Solutions by The State News
