Opinion | Columns
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Economy damaged by Current method of calculating trade deficit
Aug. 25, 2014Last year the U.S.-China trade deficit was $318 billion. The U.S. Department of Commerce calculates the deficit by subtracting the value of what we import from what we export, which accurately calculates the overall trade deficit. However, this method is misleading and potentially damaging to the U.S. economy.
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In Defense of the Ice Bucket Challenge
Aug. 25, 2014Just a couple of weeks ago, I logged into my Facebook and saw that I was tagged in a friend’s status. It was a video of someone pouring a bucket of ice water all over herself and nominated me, along with a few others, to participate in something called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
White celebrities: Speak up on Ferguson
Aug. 24, 2014All eyes have been on Ferguson, Missouri, since earlier this month, when unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by Darren Wilson, a white police officer.
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COLUMNS
Locals: Pay attention to Plum Creek
Aug. 6, 2014If you’ve seen the eastern half of Gainesville, there’s no question that we are home to seriously impoverished areas. A lack of quality jobs and economic development keeps the area depressed and few — if any — local leaders currently hold the key to solving the never-ending crisis. Some Gainesville residents are pinning their hopes to a company who owns more land than anyone else in Alachua County.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
My major is none of your concern
Aug. 4, 2014Three semesters ago when I started my first day at the Alligator, I never thought I’d be typing these words so soon.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Faking an orgasm is preventing the avenue to real pleasure
Aug. 4, 2014About a month ago, Vice published a quiz to test its readers — "Can you tell which of these porn star orgasms are fake?"
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Redistricting leads to gridlock in Capitol
July 30, 2014Throughout the school year, students are rewarded for their hard work with occasional breaks from the rigors of academia. Following the grueling ends of each semester, we are released from the clutches of term papers, exams and presentations to spend a few precious weeks relaxing and recharging our batteries.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Women, not just men, deserve the right to free their nipples
July 28, 2014Summers in Florida mean outfits that contain as few articles of clothing as possible.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Hamas hasn’t and won’t respond to Israel’s plea for peace
July 28, 2014You walk into a restaurant at 6:55 p.m. in anticipation of your 7 p.m. date. When 7:10 p.m. approaches, there is no sign of your date. And when you cautiously pick up the phone to call, there is no answer. You wait a little longer and call again. Someone picks up the phone, and within a mere second, the call is ended.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
World events don’t need US’ blessing
July 28, 2014America must come to grips with an uncomfortable reality: Our world influence is beginning to wane. The two main crises that have dominated the airwaves for the past few weeks, the Malaysian Airline downed by Russian-backed Ukrainian separatist forces and the latest chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have made this development perfectly clear. We have overstretched, overreached and overplayed our influence for too long.
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COLUMNS
Step out of the way, government haters
July 23, 2014As late July turns to August, a few events are certain: Fall semester starts in just four short weeks, Gator football kicks off and the home stretch 2014 election begins. With the election looming, along with the glut of negative advertising, constant phone calls, campaign emails and fundraising requests, it’s time we broach a serious topic.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Mouthing off to oral sex stereotypes
July 21, 2014Call me a traditionalist, but I don’t normally take sex advice from Greek life-inspired websites.
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Americans should show more compassion to immigrant children
July 21, 2014“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 19:14.
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Is it possible to categorize the right?
July 21, 2014Because the political right is full of an interesting bunch of characters, many in the media struggle to properly identify and categorize its different ideological camps. The right is said to be made up of mainstream, business-friendly, Tea Party, libertarian, neoconservative, religious-minded or simply extremist groups.
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Israel should not be criticized for defending itself
July 16, 2014Tuesday’s Alligator column voiced misconceptions regarding the situation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The real problem is not Israel, but Hamas.
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COLUMNS
Florida and Georgia’s commonality: Lousy governors
July 16, 2014Florida and Georgia are rivals on a sizable scale. The annual football game between UF and the University of Georgia in Jacksonville can resemble preparations for a large war between two enemies, but it seems that the two rivals have more in common than we think.
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How to do the walk of shame — minus the shame
July 14, 2014It’s 8:37 a.m. when you wake up and look around, thinking, “Wait, that Southern Tide poster isn’t mine. Whose room is this?”
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Republicans can’t ignore Palin and D’Souza’s siren song
July 14, 2014In “The Odyssey,” Odysseus must avoid the mythical sirens who lure sailors to their doom on the rocky shoreline of their island. Though the songstresses are enticing, Odysseus and his crew, with the assistance of some beeswax with which they filled their ears, force themselves to ignore the dangerous distraction in order to preserve their best interest.
OPINION
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Speaking out against Israeli attacks
July 14, 2014The situation in Palestine that has taken place over the past four weeks has brought us to speak out against the unjust collective punishment being levied on the Palestinians by the state of Israel.
