What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."
At the beginning of the primary season, it seems the Democratic contenders promised us a bit too much.
In Thursday's Alligator, Rebecca Ganzak wrote in her column that she feels there needs to be regulations governing the "appropriateness" of content available on the Internet. I feel that the actions proposed in Thursday's column are the wrong ones to take.
As one of the students on hunger strike, I wanted to respond to the "dart" Students for a Democratic Society received from the Alligator editorial board on Friday.
It's a common gripe at colleges across the country: Parking on campus is a nightmare. At the second largest university in the United States, we're no strangers to the parking tickets, the "who-stole-my-car" moments before the adjustment to roam towing and the hours of circling and stalking in parking lots before classes.
Rebecca Ganzak's column Thursday reminded me of the "Freedom, but…" concept too many people subscribe to today.
I try to avoid whining in my column, but sometimes I can't help it. Actually, I whine most of the time. OK, all I do is whine.
In her column on Thursday, Ms. Ganzak asked all the wrong questions. "Why is the Internet so open?" she wondered. The question should be "Why is everything else so closed?"
The referendum on the spring ballot supporting UF's adherence to socially responsible investment, which passed by student voters, shows that among students a strong sentiment exists for the university to do the right thing: to place people before the unrestrained quest for profit.
This week it seems that along with the pollen and spring, protesting is also in the air. Whether it's the anti-war protestors on the corner of 13th Street and University Avenue, the hunger strikers staking it out in front of Bernie's office or the maniacs trying to extinguish the Olympic torch, it's hard to keep up with who's mad at who for what these days. So, here at Darts & Laurels headquarters, we'll keep it simple for you this week and let you know what should really be pissing you off. Get your signs ready and practice your angry chants for this week's edition of Darts & Laurels.
I may never again live in an all-college town
I have seen the promotions, watched videos and listened to several computer-savvy friends explain to me why the Internet should be a free and uncensored flow of entertainment and information. I used to agree.
Week after week, Joshua Frederickson writes impassioned columns bashing any thought that is on this side of far-left. I enjoy political discourse, but only when it is informed. I do not have room here to detail his numerous errors and misguided assertions, so I will focus on his attack against McCain over waterboarding. He claims that McCain's anti-torture "convictions" disappeared when he voted against the Senate's ban.
On Tuesday night, Gainesville City Commissioner Jeanna Mastrodicasa, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee and UF's assistant vice president of student affairs, held a forum on campus to discuss proposed changes before the commission that may change the face of Gainesville's nightlife.
In Wednesday's Alligator, Greg Perry asked if there was any true value gained from installing GPS on RTS buses. Mr. Perry appears to assume that the only benefit from GPS is providing knowledge about wait times to students and the community. Knowledge of wait times for students is merely an ancillary public benefit that comes with the system.
Tuesday evening, in a packed room, several Iraq War veterans spoke of their experiences while on the ground in Iraq. Their aim was to simply inform the American people of the realities of the war. The content was not something that you will see on the evening news because it was reality.
I must have missed the desperately needed outcry to scold Student Government's blatant waste of spending, so here goes my version. The University of Florida is spending $204,000 to start up, then $110,000 per year to tell you how long you have to wait for a bus. If that's not enough, throw in a few high-definition LCD screens. Can we not wait for a bus like the rest of the world? Is there any true value gained in this system?
As an adoptee, active in adoption-law reform efforts since shortly after I graduated from UF, I am disappointed that UF would extend an invitation to Diablo Cody to speak at my alma mater.
Members of the mainstream media in this country have been engaged in a nauseating love affair with Sen. John McCain ever since his failed presidential campaign in 2000. During that campaign, the Arizona senator swept the press off of their collective feet with his brash "straight talk," his disarming charm and his self-deprecating sense of humor. Many so-called "journalists" labeled him a "maverick" because he occasionally refused to toe the line of his intellectually and morally bankrupt party. However, this, in and of itself, does not a maverick make. Simply repeating something over and over again does not mean that it's true.
We welcome you to your new home, Paul D'Anieri. When others dropped out of the dean search after an administration shake-up and pressing budget problems, you decided to remain in the running to be at the helm of the biggest college on the UF campus. Congratulations on your selection. We're glad that you're here.
Solutions by The State News
