opinion - The Independent Florida Alligator

Opinion

Local elections important for students

By Chad Mohammed | Apr. 6, 2011

“All politics are local.” This time-tested adage never has been truer. On Tuesday, the runoff elections for Districts 2 and 3 will take place. Running in District 2, which encompasses the northwest section of the city, is incumbent Lauren Poe. Running in District 3 is Susan Bottcher. District 3 spans the southwestern sector of the city from the western half of campus all the way to I-75.

Opinion

OutFoxed

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 6, 2011

Somewhere, Jon Stewart is mourning the death of an impression.

Opinion

Grinding Halt: Shutdown consequences can teach a lesson

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 6, 2011

The cogs on the machine that is the federal government are about to grind to a halt. The shutdown is nearly at hand, and we have seen nothing to convince us that the two parties are willing to compromise on their views of the budget. So what is going to be put on hold?

Opinion

Criticism of Coach Butler’s methods without merit

By Gene Ryan | Apr. 6, 2011

Regarding the recent articles in the Alligator which, on balance, could only be considered as highly critical of your coaching job done by Lady Gators basketball coach Amanda Butler, my wife and I are longtime Gator fans, members of the Boosters Club and never miss a home game.

Sports

Spring game gives fans reason to be optimistic

By ADAM BERRY | Apr. 5, 2011

Call me a cynic — and maybe this is just repressed jealousy because I wasn’t appointed to one of the four media guest coach spots — but it’s hard to get excited about what’s going to happen Saturday in The Swamp.

Opinion

Vouching For It; Budget proposal won’t solve Medicare problems

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 5, 2011

Threatening the sacred cow carries dire consequences for politicians.

Opinion

Sounding the Alarm

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 5, 2011

We realized years ago that constant noise affects our mental health. It was only recently, however, that the World Health Organization published a report on the physical fallout of living in a loud atmosphere. This goes beyond hearing implications; WHO even went as far as to point to heart problems that may derive from coping with noises our bodies weren’t meant to handle.

Opinion

Columnist’s case against baseball overlooks prices, youth involvement

By Sarah Calise | Apr. 5, 2011

In response to Laura Ellermeyer’s Tuesday column on Major League Baseball’s dwindling popularity: While I absolutely agree with Laura on the grounds of the declining popularity of baseball, she has gotten many of the reasons wrong.

Opinion

Football ticket price increase harms cash-strapped students

By Alex Kaufman | Apr. 5, 2011

I am not a fan of the student ticket price increase for football. Not for the amount, but for the principle.

Opinion

Princess movies hurting young girls

By Wesley Campbell | Apr. 5, 2011

Disney movies teach awful lessons to children. They have ruined entire generations of Americans’ concepts of love, happiness and the pursuit thereof.

Sports

In pro wrestling, real danger not as fake as scripted matches

Apr. 4, 2011

How do you know when a fake wrestler is hurt for real?

Opinion

Baseball waning as national pastime

By Laura Ellermeyer | Apr. 4, 2011

Many beautiful things accompany the emergence of spring. Flowers explode, birds rejoice and a long-awaited end of the school year looms closer. But for any red-blooded American, these trivialities are just minor blips on the radar as the arrival of spring means only one thing: baseball.

Opinion

Merit-pay plan rewards growth

By Danny Beaulieu | Apr. 4, 2011

I would like to respond to a portion of Chad Mohammed’s Thursday column in which he said, “The merit-pay plan is flawed and simply will reward teachers for teaching in areas with students of higher socioeconomic status and punish those who teach students of lower socioeconomic standings.”

Opinion

Equalizing via E-books

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 4, 2011

Two bills working their way through our state legislature are aimed at bringing public schools into the digital age. They would either require 50 percent of materials spending to go toward digital books and e-readers, as in the Florida House’s version of the bill, or test the waters with certain schools investing in said technology.

Opinion

Time Out: Students shouldn’t complain about price

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 4, 2011

As many of you have discovered, the price for student season tickets to Gators football games has increased for the 2011 season. The price has jumped from $70 to $105, an increase of 50 percent that has some students reeling. But before you complain about the change, keep a few things in mind.

Opinion

American exceptionalism exceptional

By Zack Smith | Apr. 3, 2011

Over the past few weeks, the concept of “American exceptionalism” has dominated the airwaves.

Opinion

Gag Order: Consequences of pastor’s actions warrant comment

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Apr. 3, 2011

Let us apologize for going back on our word.

Opinion

Both sides should seek forgiveness for murders

By Joe Bialek Cleveland | Apr. 3, 2011

This letter is in response to the articles covering the deadly protest in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, which appear to be a result of the antics of the Dove World Outreach Center’s Terry Jones.

Opinion

Players’ complaints only sour grapes

By Jane Houston UF faculty | Mar. 31, 2011

I read Matt Watts’ diatribe about our esteemed women’s basketball head coach Amanda Butler in Thursday’s paper.

Opinion

Butler’s record speaks for itself

By Deb Dalziel | Mar. 31, 2011

What’s the point of these articles? They list some of coach Butler’s accomplishments, praise her intensity and passion for the game, and then suggest her possible “downfall” based on comments from two former disgruntled players who abandoned their team last year as post-season play began.