Opinion | Columns
OPINION
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COLUMNS
‘That is Enough’ — It is time for us to focus on humanities
Oct. 20, 2014Consider the following two events that transpired during UF’s Homecoming week. First, the UF Board of Trustees selected Dr. Kent Fuchs to be the university’s next president. Second, I attended a UF-based talk which, among other things, alluded to the “innovative” research that could possibly be going on in the area of creating apps to remind people to brush their teeth. Let’s now juxtapose these two aforementioned events that happened on the UF campus last week with three history-making events that happened in the broader U.S. society in the same time frame. First, the deadly Ebola virus made its way to the U.S. Second, gas prices fell to levels not seen since 2010. Third, our stock market dropped by as much as 460 points. What a week!
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Don’t buy into minimum wage myths this election
Oct. 19, 2014Every few months, a new issue takes prominence on the political scene, and most people quickly embrace a solution before considering any of its consequences. The latest political trend to gain popular support has been increasing minimum wage from its current federal rate of $7.25 an hour to $10.10 per hour. Supporters of a minimum wage increase often frame such a proposal as a cure-all for what ails the U.S. economy.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Scott’s Ebola conference masks public health cuts
Oct. 19, 2014Gov. Rick Scott held a press conference Friday to discuss the recent Ebola cases in Texas. Fears about an outbreak in Florida were heightened after a plane carrying one of the nurses diagnosed with Ebola stopped at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Looking other way will not end racism
Oct. 19, 2014Last week, Nick Eagle wrote a column in which he argued we should all “just be proud to be Americans.” Although Eagle’s proposal is a noble one, it is rooted in misconceptions and ignorance.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Friends with benefits benefit from dialogue
Oct. 16, 2014When Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake did the friends with benefits thing, they made it look easy. If only real life were that fair.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Vatican views of LGBT: a good start
Oct. 16, 2014I have been a Roman Catholic all my life. For 18 years, I went to church almost every Sunday without fail. While attending Mass, I realized that Catholics are especially resistant to one thing: change. I have experienced the same liturgy, the same teachings and the same traditions year after year with little hope of something different. The various popes have always looked the same and represented the same values. That is, until the selection of the current pope.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
We can do more with modern technology
Oct. 15, 2014Last Wednesday, rockstar astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gave the keynote address at a conference for the information security industry. I refer to him as a rockstar because he’s the only astrophysicist I know by name. I’d imagine I’m not alone.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
FSU, officials: justice system mockery
Oct. 14, 2014Last week, The New York Times released a damning report on an institutional failure by Florida State University and law enforcement officials in Tallahassee. The report looks at various offenses allegedly committed by FSU football players, and the actions — and more often than not, the inactions — taken by the university and law enforcement. The allegations include from sexual assault, theft, abuse and an ongoing BB gun fight between football players who terrified innocent bystanders.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Choice between life and death requires careful consideration
Oct. 14, 2014Brittany Maynard will die on Nov. 1. The Oregon resident will take a doctor-prescribed pill to end her life.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Try a pumpkin spice condom today
Oct. 14, 2014October is here, and you know what that means. No, we’re not talking about candy corn, haunted houses or ancient ritualistic pagan sacrifices. We here at Trojan are proud to announce our new pumpkin spice condoms.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Recent vandalism at Emory AEPi matters
Oct. 13, 2014This summer, while working for a startup in Tel Aviv, I took a weekend to travel to Jerusalem and visit the Holocaust memorial. There, I walked by black and white photos of charred synagogues, Jewish-owned storefronts with shattered windows and signs calling for boycotts of Jewish businesses.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Grad assistants left out of UF president search
Oct. 13, 2014As representatives for UF’s 4,000 graduate assistants, we received last Monday’s presidential search update with great concern.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
The DEA has gone too far; it’s time to end the ‘War on Drugs’
Oct. 13, 2014The Drug Enforcement Administration has frequently displayed reckless disregard for the lives of any person associated with drugs. The agency’s thoughtless behavior recently reached a new low.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Connections matter: Keep home roots
Oct. 13, 2014When freshmen embark on the first semester of their college careers, one of three things undoubtedly occurs: They forget their families at home exist, they become incredibly homesick and call them every night or they cheerfully manage to keep up relationships with their families while also balancing and enjoying school like an ultimate pro. Kudos to those who can swing that. We’ve all been through that tough first break from the comfort of home, whether it’s hardest breaking away from your family, your friends or just your pet. College is always an adjustment period.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Medical marijuana amendment concerns about consequences, meaning unfounded
Oct. 12, 2014On Oct. 8, Lindsay Alexander wrote a column opposing the approval of Amendment 2, which would legalize medical marijuana in Florida. Alexander’s concerns about Amendment 2 are misguided.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
We should all be proud Americans
Oct. 12, 2014Last week, Twitter caught on fire after “That’s So Raven” star Raven-Symoné did an interview with Oprah Winfrey and said she did not want to be labeled an African-American, but rather, just an American.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
‘Dropped complaint’ vs. ‘false accusation’
Oct. 12, 2014By now, we’ve all heard about the sexual assault complaint that was filed against UF football player Treon Harris last week and later dropped by the accuser.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
War in Afghanistan: 13 years is too long
Oct. 9, 2014On Tuesday, members of UF Students for a Democratic Society held a rally with anti-war groups from Gainesville — Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, UF Students for Justice in Palestine and UF College Libertarians — to protest our continued occupation of Afghanistan.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Your cheat sheet for STI testing
Oct. 9, 2014The least wonderful time of the year is upon us — midterm season.
