opinion - The Independent Florida Alligator

Opinion

New Bright Futures standards will hurt everyone

By Jackie Simons | Mar. 24, 2010

I think the idea that the Bright Futures Scholarship Program is going to hurt minorities is ridiculous. It is going to hurt everyone. I’m a white, middle-class female, and I took the ACT three times before finally reaching the goal of 100 percent. I feel like we set a low bar for minority students, when in reality they have the same potential to achieve these scores. As a future teacher, I believe everyone can learn, and it’s about time everyone adapted that principle. The purpose of Bright Futures is to help hardworking students afford college. It’s an incentive. Bright Futures is trying to refrain from giving out such an incentive by requiring higher scores, but that makes it difficult not just for a certain group but for everyone. Minority students are capable, very intelligent and can achieve similar, if not better, scores than their Caucasian peers.

Opinion

Health bill will lead to entitlement

By David Tombs | Mar. 24, 2010

I find Will Penman’s Wednesday column urging conservatives to move on absurd. If you, Will, are going to write against your ideological archrivals, please make some attempt to understand them. May I do some explaining?

Opinion

Democrats stayed true to convictions

By Matt Christ | Mar. 23, 2010

Yes they did.

Opinion

So Long, Rush: Web site raises money to oust Limbaugh

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Mar. 23, 2010

For most liberals, independents and sane conservatives, Sunday’s passage of the health care bill meant one thing: Rush Limbaugh is leaving the country.

Opinion

Conservatives: Move On

By Will Penman | Mar. 23, 2010

In response to the health care bill passing in the House of Representatives Sunday night, I noticed a friend’s Facebook status that was something like this: “Here comes the downfall of America.” I expanded the comments to join in on the sarcastic follow-ups. “The health care bill is going to kill us all!” was my best candidate for something to add. Then I saw that they were all serious. America really was doomed in their eyes. Welcome to the end of the world, I guess.

Opinion

Bright Futures changes match purpose According to the Florida

By Carly Wilson | Mar. 23, 2010

Bright Futures Scholarship Program’s Web site, the scholarship was created in 1997 “to reward students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding to attend postsecondary education in Florida.”

Opinion

Tug-o-war: Google v. China

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Mar. 23, 2010

Google and the Chinese government have been trading blows the past few days after Google finally decided to stop censoring its search engine in mainland China.

Sports

Doublespeak: Reading between the lines at Florida’s spring practice

Mar. 22, 2010

It’s spring, which means the sun is shining, the birds are singing and love is in the air.

Opinion

Frat boys: Stay fratty

By Jamie Dollinger | Mar. 22, 2010

Last time I checked, there wasn’t a campus fashion police task force, and that’s the beauty of America and the public school system: wardrobe freedom for all. CJ Pruner, it is rather unfortunate that you’ve utilized your Alligator staff writer privileges to deem yourself some sort of faux authority on what people should be wearing.

Opinion

Health care bill will have small effect on students

By Brittany Fox | Mar. 22, 2010

Forget health care reform hysterics. The real drama occurred after the actual vote on Sunday night, during a debate on a procedural measure offered by House Republicans.

Opinion

GDI’s should shed graphic T-shirts, jorts

By Fernando Valle | Mar. 22, 2010

CJ Pruner’s column published Monday was a shameless attempt at Greek-bashing in what he described as, “some hippie rag of a newspaper.” But, while we’re in the spirit of critiquing others’ wardrobes, there are some pressing matters I’d like to address.

Opinion

Crappy Contract

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Mar. 22, 2010

Everyone knows about the Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien mess on NBC that left the latter kicked off The Tonight Show after the former was reinstated.

Opinion

Columnist impresses reader

By Lou Ortega | Mar. 22, 2010

I’ve been reading your paper for a long time, and I don’t remember the last time I enjoyed an article so much.

Opinion

Monday Miracle: Students became health experts overnight

By The Alligator Editorial Board | Mar. 22, 2010

In one of the greatest miracles to ever grace academia since the adderall cocktail, millions of college students overnight have become America’s leading experts on health care policy.

Opinion

We should appreciate ephemerality

Mar. 22, 2010

I dug out my high school yearbook from senior year during the end of Spring Break. It was a combination of impending graduation wistfulness coupled with a “what’s past is prologue!”-induced search for anything that can assuage just how freaked out I am about that impending graduation. And then I discovered something: I was really, really terrible at predicting with whom I’d still be friends after high school.

Sports

Dunlap has more to prove

Mar. 21, 2010

About an hour after showing NFL teams why they should covet him at UF’s Pro Scout Day last Wednesday, former Gators defensive end Carlos Dunlap flashed a glimpse of why they should hesitate to throw millions of dollars his way.

Opinion

Frat boys should wear longer shorts, less Guy Harvey

Mar. 21, 2010

There are three things that — no matter how you spin it — are never good for your eyesight: Call of Duty marathon sessions, “2 girls 1 cup” and the springtime.

Opinion

Lawyers in 9/11 case embody America

By Ryan Spencer | Mar. 21, 2010

The class-action lawsuit against the city of New York concerning the ground zero response and cleanup effort suffered another setback last week. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein handed down a decision stating the lawsuit’s roughly $600 million settlement, filed on behalf of about more than 10,000 ailing first responders and workers who searched for survivors and cleared the wreckage after the Sept. 11 attacks, would be inadequate. He went further to delineate the settlement’s convoluted compensation allotment system and grossly excessive attorney fees as reasons for his recommendation to restructure the settlement. Hellerstein maintained the compensation paled in comparison to the effort displayed, hazardous conditions endured and compensation truly deserved by the plaintiffs, whom he made a point to refer to as heroes.

Opinion

Party in the U.S.A

By Alligator Editorial Board | Mar. 21, 2010

The Tea Party Movement has been causing controversy since its formation in 2009 to its organization of Saturday’s protest where racial slurs and epithets were screamed at House Democrats.

Opinion

Student Alliance party thanks student voters for passing resolution

By GRAHAM CLARK | Mar. 21, 2010

I want to publicly thank several student senators who reached across party lines Tuesday night to help pass the Student Alliance’s resolution calling for a grand jury investigation into the shooting of UF graduate student Kofi Adu-Brempong. The Unite Party’s leadership repeatedly tried to make amendments to the bill that would have watered it down to the point of meaninglessness, even over objections from numerous members of the public who came out to support the resolution.