Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

For-profit colleges need to be held accountable

Jan. 26, 2015

If you’ve ever watched daytime television, you would probably recognize this annoying commercial: A young man standing in a parking lot yells at you for sitting on the couch and wasting your life. After a few minutes of making you feel ashamed of your situation, he gives you hope by telling you it isn’t too late to finish your degree and land your dream career. All you have to do is make a simple phone call.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Key West mosquito test backlash really bites

Jan. 26, 2015

Key West may become host to an experiment that involves male mosquitoes, the herpes virus and cabbage DNA.

OPINION | COLUMNS

President Barack Obama needs to lead against Iran

Jan. 25, 2015

Last week Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, announced that he will be addressing a joint meeting of Congress in early March to discuss actions to be taken against Iran’s nuclear program should the diplomatic approach prove fruitless. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, invited the prime minister to make these proposals to Congress with little excitement from the White House. Josh Earnest, the Obama administration’s press secretary, said that Obama will not be meeting with Netanyahu when he visits in March because they want to steer clear of him during Netanyahu’s election campaign. Earnest went on to explain that they want to avoid “the appearance of any kind of interference with a democratic election.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Millennials are not pleased with the outdated media

Jan. 25, 2015

Every year after the State of the Union speech, the president of the United States goes on a cross-country tour to make a case for his agenda.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Modeling the NFL Pro Bowl after NBA

Jan. 25, 2015

Imagine this: You’re a professional football player who just had the season of your life. You outperformed every other player in your position in the National Football League, and the fans have rewarded you by voting to send you off to the NFL Pro Bowl, where the league’s top talent form two teams and play each other.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Once again GOP gives poor, splintered response to State of the Union

Jan. 22, 2015

Following President Obama’s sixth State of the Union address this week, the Republicans once again provided an official response to Obama’s speech. And once again, it was stilted, filled with talking points and sounded more like a sketch from Sesame Street than an address meant for millions of American adults. This year’s victim was recently elected U.S. senator from Iowa, Joni Ernst.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Answering: why the lack of attraction after orgasm?

Jan. 22, 2015

I asked, and you answered. Thanks to all who submitted questions and ideas to me. This week, someone wrote to me with an issue between her and her boyfriend: They have sex and after he orgasms, he feels no attraction to her. Her question: “I’m wondering if you’ve ever come across this before where a guy, after climaxing, loses attraction, sexual desire, and even emotional desire?”

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: shoddy arts and crafts, women's rights and, of course, balls

Jan. 22, 2015

This week’s headlines were splattered with all kinds of hectic news: takes on the State of the Union address, renewed culture-war skirmishes surrounding “American Sniper,” and — let’s not forget — balls. Here’s this week’s edition of...

OPINION | COLUMNS

“American Sniper” should not be controversial

Jan. 21, 2015

The controversy surrounding “American Sniper” is petty and self-serving. The feud basically revolves around the back-and-forth quips of two distinct groups of people. The first group is what I like to call the “America Rah! Rah!” group. These are the people that have the song “Free Bird” as their ringtone, and have more guns in their house than people living in it.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Let sororities party: for the equality, for the beer

Jan. 21, 2015

If there’s one thing Greek life cherishes more than parties, philanthropy events and Vespas, it’s tradition.

OPINION | COLUMNS

MLK and ‘American Sniper’: Light will drive out darkness

Jan. 20, 2015

It’s heartbreaking and infuriating to observe that this weekend — officially dedicated to commemorating the legacy of a great pacifist and visionary of a more just world — was hijacked by Hollywood and rededicated to a film, which serves to glorify American militarism; attempt once again to justify the unthinkably savage slaughter waged for a decade in Iraq; and reignite hatred against Arabs and Muslims. Just check Twitter.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Save yourself money: switch your phone plan to a Wi-Fi service

Jan. 20, 2015

Imagine an average student with an iPhone: She gives $45 a month to AT&T for cell service. If she switched to my $12.71 Republic Wireless plan, she’d save approximately $387 a year. That’s about 28 jars of Nutella from Amazon, or about 49 months of Netflix.

OPINION | COLUMNS

New anti-abortion law is unnecessary, restricts access to a safe procedure

Jan. 20, 2015

Unless you come from Texas, or you keep up with the intricacies of state politics, you probably aren’t aware of the fact that Texas currently only has seven functional abortion clinics. Some people will probably say that seven is plenty, or perhaps too much. Some people might be horrified by the fact that I say there should be and need to be more. Texas is the biggest state in America, and as of 2013, a safe and healthy medical procedure is now likely impossible for many people who don’t have the resources or ability to go to an abortion clinic that could be hundreds of miles away.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

New Connecticut Taser law a step in the right direction

Jan. 20, 2015

Little known fact: “Taser” is actually an acronym for “Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle,” which is high in the running for snazziest name of anything, ever. Thomas Swift, by the way, is the main character of a young adult science fiction series from the 1910s.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Closer look at Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Jan. 19, 2015

Naor Amir’s response (“Response to previous letter urging UF to cut ties with anti-Palestinian groups”) to Amanda Nelson’s op-ed (“Call to UF: Cut ties with anti-Palestine community”) was persuasive and thought-provoking. We believed it warranted a response, as it contained many of the arguments that have been used to justify Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. These arguments included, “Israel is the only free country in the Middle East,” “Terrorism is bad” and “What about other Middle Eastern conflicts?”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Bring an end to sexual theatrics

Jan. 19, 2015

Let’s be real. It’s the 21st century, but — other than advances made in modern contraception — not much has changed in the world of sex. Names are frequently confused. Abandoned muscles are continuously being rediscovered. And, unfortunately, orgasms are still faked.

OPINION | COLUMNS

For 2016 election: Move over, Romney

Jan. 19, 2015

We are now three weeks into the New Year, which means move aside 2015 — 2016 is the star. It’s the year when we finally get to have another presidential election, and not one of those boring ones where one of the candidates is an incumbent. We start with fresh contenders from both parties.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Minority mugshot target practice more than just a race issue, it's a human issue

Jan. 19, 2015

A story broke Friday shocking enough to obliterate any feelings of goodwill you may have developed recently.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Measles revived by junk science

Jan. 15, 2015

Generally, when people think of Disneyland Park, they picture a fantastic time with friends and family. Sure, they may get sick riding around on the Alice In Wonderland teacups, but few expect to get literally sick, especially with the measles. However, that’s exactly what happened to at least 26 people who recently visited the California theme park.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Craft beer, free speech and astronomical discoveries in this week's Darts & Laurel

Jan. 15, 2015

Turns out we were lucky that it was just really, really cold last week. This time around, we got a hefty dose of bleak and rainy on top of the frigid air we’ve unfortunately had to get used to. But if Florida really is as weird as everybody else in the country seems to think — see Jon Stewart’s fierce description of us from Tuesday’s “The Daily Show” — it should be unbearably hot and humid soon. To celebrate getting one day closer to that time, here’s your damp-yet-bitterly-cold edition of...