The Gators open up their preseason training camp today, and that can only mean one thing around these parts: UF fans already have their eyes on a trip to Glendale, Ariz., in January.
This long, hot and boring summer is finally coming to a close, and after all the dreadfully boring news that came out in the past few months, we think it should have come a lot sooner.
In Tuesday’s Alligator, the Editorial Board took a strong stance in favor of adding more Gainesville utility providers, finally bringing the free market to our power and water and working to stop the city-controlled socialists at GRU. Frankly, I couldn’t agree more.
We have about 80 years to live, and about one-third of that we spend unconscious. And I don’t mean because of an accumulation of hard nights at Midtown. Throw in work, education, eating, daily household and personal hygiene chores, and the roughly five years everyone spends in a line of some sort just waiting for something like a red light to turn green.
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe hasn’t wasted any time coming out in protest of Dove World Outreach Center’s plans for a Quran burning on Sept. 11.
The Southeastern Conference just got tougher and deeper.
As a Christian, I follow a basic commandment: Love one another as you love yourself. This does not mean love your Christian neighbors, and bully all others. It definitely does not mean that it is acceptable, in the name of Christ, to persecute those of another faith. On Sept. 11, The Dove World Outreach Center is planning an “International Burn a Quran Day.” They describe Islam as “a religion of the devil” and have been mobilizing using Facebook and YouTube to persuade others to their cause.
Jersey Shore: Two words that ignite controversy, YouTube impersonations and fist pumps.
When the Florida Department of Law Enforcement report cleared the five officers involved in the Kofi Adu-Brempong shooting we were upset but believed an internal investigation might bring about some disciplinary action. Now it seems UPD has reinstated all but one of the officers involved in the shooting with no actions taken against them. Maybe there was a slap on the wrist for mishandling the situation, but we don’t know.
Simply being an American citizen comes with a grab bag of freedoms and benefits. Social Security, education, welfare and President Obama’s soon-to-be-implemented comprehensive health care system are only some of the fruits of our nation’s wealth - a wealth built on the social and ethnic diversity that defines America. While this diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, we cannot allow unrestrained access to America’s limited bounty. I am writing in regards to SB1070, the Arizona law causing so much uproar – the one that allows police officers to detain suspected illegal immigrants unless they are carrying immigration documents. I’ve heard the words “un-American,” “fascist,” “xenophobic” and “racist” all used to describe this legislation and its supporters, and I have never been more worried for the future of America.
Couches line the sidewalks, particle boards disintegrate on the curb and Dumpsters full of rain-soaked mattresses wait to be emptied. It’s that time of year again — moving from one place to the next. The worst part about it: the unrelenting fees Gainesville Regional Utilities imposes on customers.
It happened: Bernie Machen won, and Georgia beat us. The Bulldogs are now ranked as the No. 1 party school in the nation, while UF has slipped to seventh place after taking the top spot two years ago.
I respectfully disagree with Jon Roosenraad's column, "UF journalism students deserve teachers with experience in field." Finding a candidate for the position of Executive Producer/Managing Editor 21st Century News Lab, in the College of Journalism and Communications, who has an advanced degree and professional experience is both possible and necessary. There are several professors in our college, and other ‘professional leaning' colleges that have both. Although neither requirement is a guarantee of finding the professor with the perfect fit, having both provides the students and the communications community with the potential for maintaining industry standards while perpetuating growth. Too often industry applicants, with and without advanced degrees, think that all they have to do is go to class and tell war stories. I know, I was one of those hires with both 10 years of industry experience and advanced degrees. I learned quickly that students need more than learning the industry's approach to a problem or situation. When forward thinking is required, as is certainly the case in the journalism communications industry today, then the best candidate is the holder of both professional experience and advanced degrees. Although I am not on the selection committee, hiring someone with the best credentials in both areas is essential. I trust the committee and the dean will make the correct decision.
About two weeks ago, I took a trip to Cedar Key with my Counseling in Community Settings class and our professor, Dr. West-Olatunji. Cedar Key is a small town located on the Gulf Coast, about 50 miles southwest of Gainesville. Known for its aqua-farming, it is a big name in the clamming industry. The purpose of our trip was to talk to members of the Cedar Key community in order to gain a better understanding of how the oil spill has impacted their lives. As future counselors, we also wanted to learn how our profession could better serve the needs of communities impacted by the oil spill.
This next statement defies all logic.
Even though he's left UF and the Gators far behind, Tim Tebow is still making us proud in Colorado.
Summer is coming to a close, and it's time for us to dole out an award for the most out-of-context quote of the semester: Prince's now-famous uttering of "the Internet is over."
America heralds the banner of innovation because of the country's aptitude for creativity. Individual creativity is an essential part of the American spirit and is embodied in our country's founding documents. A government produces the most from its citizens when it allows each of them to define and pursue their own success. Using a system of limited regulation, a government should be one that allows for society to enhance its prospects by working up freely from below, instead of being determined from the top.
Last Thursday's column "Make up your own mind about politics" inspired me.
I was passing through Midtown last Tuesday evening, and I stopped to watch the live music at The Swamp for a song or two. “Cause it’s the first of May, first of May,” he sang, and I was thinking what a nice voice he had when suddenly – “Outdoor f--king starts today. Celebrate spring with a crazy little thing called f--king outside” – my heart started pounding as nervous anger flooded my insides. He dropped the F-bomb in his beautiful melody. As he scanned the audience, his eyes met mine. I felt uncomfortable just witnessing this performance. Maybe I was overreacting, I thought. I decided I’d try to wait it out, hoping the next song would be swear-free and worth staying for. He had a good voice. “I’m going to make this part as vulgar as possible,” he said, and I cringed. I instantly began to change my mind about staying. He said something about “f--king everybody,” and I couldn’t stand listening anymore. I left — no applause from me tonight.
Solutions by The State News
