Opinion
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With the announcement of shamed former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s intent to run for mayor of New York City in the November election, the American political arena continues to run amok with morally disgraced has-beens attempting to revitalize their once-distinguished careers in public service.
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The plight of the parents of 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt is heart-wrenching.
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One cannot comprehend the meaning of a genocide until they are aware of what happened during Germany’s Holocaust. I specify the country to avoid confusion that seems to surround the term’s meaning.
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The Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) event on May 15 commemorated a day that Palestinians refer to as the “Nakba,” an Arabic word meaning “catastrophe.” The day prior marked the 65th anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence.
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The buffer zone between freedom of the press and federal jurisdiction has been a delicate issue, often setting the precedent for government transparency, civil rights advocacy and the ability of average citizens to engage in the democratic process.
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Something happened on Earth last week that had not occurred in more than 3 million years: A reading of carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere nearly surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm).
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There are first world problems and third world problems. Differences in the quality of life among the world’s countries often influence the way individuals prioritize these problems. But often, first world society finds itself relying on third world solutions and the retail industry is no exception.
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The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the world’s largest and oldest publisher of civil engineering information, report card on American Infrastructure for 2013 offers a bleak insight on the U.S.’s crumbling foundation.
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According to the New York Times, in a bold and controversial decision, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials indicated they would consider looking into altering their policies to require publicly traded companies to disclose political donations on their financial statements.
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Did the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary or the Boston bombings actually happen? That is the question posed by Florida Atlantic University mass communications professor, James Tracy.
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Due to the shortage of housing on campus, many students are still searching for a place to sleep this fall.
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Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act known as CISPA by a margin of 288 to 127. Since then, the bill has garnered a bevy of criticisms from within the House itself, civil liberty activists and cyber privacy activists, including the hacktivist group Anonymous.
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North Korea has gone rogue.
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The recent days of media coverage in the capture of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings has put the best and worst of 24-hour-news networks’ coverage on display.
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In a not-so-shocking day in Congress on Wednesday, two proposed changes to a gun control bill in front of the Senate failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to be enacted by a mere six votes. The proposed legislation, called the Manchin-Toomey plan, was a bipartisan compromise meant to expand background checks on gun purchases made online and at firearms trade-shows.
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Perhaps America’s favorite problem causers could take a lesson from America’s favorite pastime.
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Former Sgt. Ron King was fired from the Port Canaveral Police Department last week after he brought gun range targets that resembled the slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin to a shooting course he taught as a side job. According to CNN, an internal investigation determined that King possessed the paper targets and offered them to a fellow officer for use in firearms training.
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As the country looked in horror after bombs were detonated during the Boston Marathon on Monday leaving at least three dead and more than 140 victims injured at time of print,
the search engine giant Google was readying its considerable Internet presence to help.
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As a student here at USF, I have been witnessing a lot of issues being brought to our attention concerning our dining centers.
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Justin Bieber’s visit to the historic Anne Frank House in Amsterdam incurred the wrath of the internet on Sunday, and rightfully so.
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Maybe Anthony Weiner still doesn’t get it.
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New York Federal Judge Edward Korman ruled to lift point-of-sale restrictions and age verifications for emergency contraception such as Plan B and Preven, commonly known as morning after pills. The ruling, which has garnered debate from competing interest groups and the medical field, would allow the drug to be sold to anyone without restrictions or a prescription.
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It has been two years since the revolutionary wave of the Arab Spring made its way to Egypt, allowing for the ousting of long-term Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Since then, Egypt has made small strides in the development of basic freedoms.
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In the last two months, the School of Mass Communications has been the subject of much scrutiny and criticism.
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In the course of tragic events, societies are prone to reconsider the past in search for preventative measures. We make assumptions about causes and reconcile them with our beliefs and principles before proposing a solution.
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The USF Police Department announced Friday that a group on campus was scheduled to hold a week-long protest in support of carrying concealed weapons by wearing empty gun holsters and handing out literature supporting their cause this week.
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The Rutgers athletic department announced on Wednesday that it fired the men’s head basketball coach, Mike Rice, after a video on YouTube showed the coach yelling, pushing and throwing basketballs at the team during a practice. The video aired on ESPN on Tuesday and quickly received reaction from the public — and even a response from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
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The United Nations General Assembly approved the most comprehensive global arms trade treaty on Tuesday after gaining a majority of the member states’ support. The treaty finalizes a nearly decade-long campaign to curb the distribution of weapons to countries that have been charged with human rights violations, terrorism and organized crime.
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The film industry has been a staple in American society since the invention of motion pictures in the late 1800s.
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The USF women’s basketball team had the strongest performance among USF Athletic teams this season.
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USF is facing pressure from the state and its coffers to increase four-year graduation rates, which are at a low 34 percent. Six-year rates aren’t much more laudable, at only 52 percent.
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As Facebook has been inundated with users posting red equal sings as their profile pictures in favor of gay marriage, the image, which has been uploaded more than 2.7 million times according to Facebook’s data, the photo, and message behind it has come to be more of a social status than a symbol for social change.
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In a busy week for the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), Tuesday morning marked the beginning of arguments about the controversial issue of gay marriage. The Court will hear both the 2008 California ballot initiative known as Proposition 8 and an appeal of the Defense of Marriage Act of
1996 (DOMA).
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Uncooked chicken is never a pleasant sight, and after the image of raw chicken purportedly served in the Juniper Dining Hall was shared more than 200 times, the image must have been least pleasant for USF Dining Services.
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The multi-faceted charity, Planting Peace, started renovations on Tuesday to their newest project, the “Equality House.”
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In 1984, Kirk Bloodsworth was arrested and convicted of rape and murder in Maryland and sentenced to death because he resembled a police sketch of the police’s prime suspect. He spent nine years in a Maryland prison before his lawyers were able to convince prosecutors to test a still-novel science of DNA evidence. Bloodsworth was later proven innocent, making him the first death row inmate to be exonerated using DNA.
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Behold, fair maidens of the world. A new product has been designed just for us.
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The Supreme Court heard arguments early Monday regarding a controversial Arizona voter registration law passed in 2004 that required prospective voters to prove citizenship before applying, though federal regulation does not require it.
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There were a couple of things that could have been conceived as “exciting new changes” when Dean Eric Eisenberg emailed the students in the School of Mass Communications over spring break.
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In a small rust belt town of Steubenville, Ohio, just west of Pittsburgh, teens from a local high school celebrated the end of their summer break in 2012 with a collection of alcohol-laden parties. But this party did not end with a simple hangover.
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For the average college student, next week will consist of no work, no school, lots of alcohol and lots of sex — usually with random hook-ups.
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The automatic government spending cuts known as sequestration officially went into effect last Thursday.
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Last week a group of Republican lawmakers ordered the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to once again audit the family planning and women’s health group Planned Parenthood and its subsidiaries.
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In an interview with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday morning, former NBA star Dennis Rodman faced a harsh line of questioning after recently returning from a trip to North Korea in which he called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “awesome.”
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On Friday, USF students voted in favor of adhering to the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
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It has been a year since 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in a Sanford neighborhood.
But in the year that followed, the general public and national media have clouded the case with speculation, racial rhetoric and legal uncertainty that have only led to further polarized public sentiment about the motives behind what took place.
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When it comes to attending a hockey, baseball or basketball game, fans want to make sure they feel safe and protected.
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After a meeting on Monday with Britain’s Foreign Secretary, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to the media about the joint effort to curb violence of the continuing Syrian Civil War.
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While the decision from the Associated Press Stylebook, the guide that sets the standard for most print and online media outlets in the U.S., to expand the entry of “husband, wife” to include all legally recognized spouses regardless of sexual orientation, should be regarded as a step in the right direction, a bigger question has surfaced: What is the role of media in social change?
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What happens when your would-be prince tries sweeping you off your feet too early?
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In light of recent tragedies on school grounds, it’s natural that parents, administrators and students worry about the safety of their schools.
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The nation was warned in early January that it would happen again and, much to our chagrin, indeed it did.
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Thousands rallied on the National Mall on Sunday and a small group rallied on campus Tuesday to demand President Barack Obama to act on his promise to curb global warming, urging him to reject the Keystone XL pipeline that would connect Canada to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico through the U.S.
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In his State of the Union address last week, President Barack Obama mentioned raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.
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Florida Polytechnic University seems to be the gift that never stops taking.
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One of the fondest memories anyone can recall as a child is that perfect moment — after everyone has finished saying “happy birthday,” right before you blow out the candles. There are few moments in life when you feel more connected to your family and friends.
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During a sunny August afternoon in an alleyway in Newark, in an act of brutal manipulative violence, three men stripped a teenager of his clothes, poured water over him and beat him multiple times with a belt as bystanders watched and walked by. The beating allegedly occurred because of a measly $20 debt the victim’s father owed the three men.
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The Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) confirmed Tuesday that it conducted its third nuclear test in an underground testing facility after South Korean monitors detected seismic activity coming from the north.
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President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday, laying out his plans and perspectives for the future of the country.
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With the student body presidential election only two weeks away, the dearth of presidential candidates is troubling.
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Gov. Rick Scott’s proposals for higher education have not always been popular, but his recent “Finish in Four” proposal may offer merits that the state legislature would be wise to consider.
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Softball coach Ken Eriksen hasn’t been sleeping too well lately.
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Last week Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) claimed that failure to pass immigration reform would cause the GOP to lose future elections to lose to Democratic presidential candidates. Little does McCain know, it is statements like these that sustain the disconnect between the Hispanic community and the Republican Party.
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America has been fighting against the terrorist organization al-Qaida since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and in May 2011 Osama bin Laden, the former leader of
al-Qaida, was killed by Navy SEALs while hiding in a fortress in Pakistan. Bin Laden’s predecessors, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Mustafa Abu al-Yazid and Abu Hafs al-Shariri were all killed by unmanned drone air strikes while in Pakistan.
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I am going to start by saying something that will make most of USF angry at me: USF’s parking problem is not PATS, it is you.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement are fighting a losing battle against marijuana that some states have already bowed out of. The introduction of synthetic cannabinoids, such as Spice and K2, only helps the argument that marijuana should be legalized by noting that the illicit drug has not proved to cause health risks.
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We’ve seen an increasing number of sources on campus requesting to conduct interviews via email, and in the interest of providing our readers with the most accurate version of the truth, The Oracle will no longer conduct interviews via email, with only extraordinary circumstances as exceptions to the rule.
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Losing power for more than 10 hours is frustrating, but not knowing why power is gone, or for how long it will be gone, is unreasonable.
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Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg spoke at a regular Pinellas County commissioners meeting Tuesday to discuss the Rays future in the Bay Area a week after a Major League Basement commissioner released a statement that the MLB was disappointed with the organization’s attendance at Tropicana Field.
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I felt compelled to write this as I sat idly waiting for a parking spot at USF. Any of the thousands of students who try to park know the frustration I felt in that moment and daily, and that is precisely what this is about: the frustration of USF parking.
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When Barack Obama addressed the nation from a high school in Las Vegas on Tuesday, he stated his plans to overhaul immigration policy.
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A week before the Sandy Hook shootings, a school district in Fontana, Calif., decided to supply school police officers with high-powered semiautomatic rifles.
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‘There are issues with parking at USF, but students not being able to follow clearly marked signage is not one of them.’
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LGBT individuals will be able to join without ridicule and will not be vindicated until the Boy Scouts drop their
policy indefinitely and become entirely inclusive.
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In the midst of hot political topics such as abortion, gay marriage and adoption rights, hundreds of thousands of children are waiting for a family to call their own. In the 21st century, one would think the idealistic family image that the Cleavers set for America would no longer apply.
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They believed that every child should grow up with a mother and a father. And I couldn’t agree more.
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At dawn last Wednesday, 32 alleged al-Qaida militants entered a secluded natural gas plant in In Amenas, Algeria, hell-bent on taking as many hostages from the facility as they could to Mali for ransom. Their plans were thwarted by the facility’s security and the Algerian military, but not before the horrific events took the lives of 37 hostages including three Americans.
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When President Barack Obama was publicly sworn into office for his second term on Monday, his inaugural address was filled with hope, and talk of equality for all minorities, fitting for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But the day typically devoted to service across the country thus became a day devoted to politics.
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Invincibility, by his own admission, was something that Lance Armstrong had felt he embodied. He was a person that lived “the perfect life,” and was the underdog that came out on top, despite the grim circumstances of cancer. To me, he was one of those people who defied the odds and became an inspiration to millions of people.
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When President Barack Obama issued a proposal Wednesday for stricter bans on assault weapons and more stringent background checks, opposition was expected. But the amendment used to prop up the argument against the proposal is foolhardy. In 1791, our forefathers signed the most important document in American history that included the list of our inalienable rights.
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Renowned ex-cyclist Lance Armstrong is expected to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Network this week to admit his use of banned performance-enhancing drugs before his memorable seven Tour de France victories.
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It has been nearly three months since Hurricane Sandy hit America’s east coast, causing an estimated $62 billion in damages, killing 149 people.
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American-born Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh, 31, who was arrested in November 2001 and is serving 20-year sentence in an Indiana federal prison for aiding the terrorist group, was recently granted the right to congregate with fellow Muslim inmates for daily prayers, a right that was long overdue.
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When the Saudi Arabian government issued a statement upon receiving much international backlash after the execution of a Sri Lankan maid, it was a statement that resonated with many cultural relativists — or those hiding under the veil of relativism.
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Here’s to hoping Paul Ryan’s latest bill disappears just as quickly as his five minutes of fame in the national spotlight did.
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When the Saudi Arabian government issued a statement upon receiving much international backlash after the execution of a Sri Lankan maid, it was a statement that resonated with many cultural relativists — or those hiding under the veil of relativism.
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The lockout left a sour taste in the mouth of fans and may last for a while.
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The nation’s financial crisis is not over and we are still burdened with a massive debt. While the legislature has come to an agreement that has stunted our plummet into financial turmoil, the arrangement has only pushed the prospect of sequestration off until March.
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When tragedies like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary or the theater in Aurora Colorado occur, the debate over gun control policy inevitably follows, endlessly polarizing the nation into what each individual believes to be the lesser of many evils. But it is this polarization, cultivated by a bevy of special interest groups and fear, which makes it impossible for our nation to come to an agreement that could prevent tragedies like Sandy Hook from occurring.
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An article in Sunday’s issue of the New York Times brought to light an issue that deserves closer examination from the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association.) The article revealed the NCAA’s drug-testing, which is conducted by an external company, Drug Free Sport, in the interest of transparency, has some less than savory elements to it that do not serve the organization if deterring drugs among student athletes is something they truly value.
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In a society that values technology for both its potential for good and its capability for evil, the “hactivism” tactics of
loosely-affiliated hacker group Anonymous has provided a glimpse into the shifting boundaries of law, ethics and the morals of activism.
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Editorial: USF should act with much caution as possible to ensure it is still protecting the important need for diversity and equal opportunity in the workplace.
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With the nation abuzz from this weekend’s announcement of the record Powerball lottery purse, many naysayers have come out of the woodwork to criticize the nation’s most successful and trendy form of revenue generation.
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Editorial: It will never be easy to delve into the mind of someone who could take another human beings life.
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The decision to fire football coach Skip Holtz announced Sunday, has left many USF students and fans saying: “Well, it’s about time” — plus or minus a few expletives.
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Editorial: It is this type of propagandist fear-mongering that followed the 9/11 attacks that led to the creation of Guantanamo Bay outside of the public eye and off of American soil.
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Editorial: You wished us all the best with our future, and we wish you all the best with yours.
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Editorial: Regardless, the fate of the country’s economy and the lives of students relies on the ability of Congress and the president to come to a compromise while facing the fiscal cliff.
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Sometimes chances don’t come around twice.
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Editorial: Tampa is headed in the right direction with its improvements plans, and its planning tactics should serve the community well.
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For once, many are regretting having blindly agreed to the terms and conditions attached to the creation of a social media account - Facebook.
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Editorial: In Tahrir Square, thousands are protesting a decision made by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi that would eliminate judicial review over most of his decisions.
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After a recent video we posted, “Gangnam Style ‘flash mob,’” has made its rounds of the Internet and received more than 83,000 views the comments on the video have brought into question whether the responsibility of free speech should be regulated.
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Editorial: Since elementary school days, the same phrases have been drilled into our heads: Don’t let the water run. Take shorter showers. Use less water.
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The fate of the Palestinian people living in Gaza is unfortunately at the mercy of Hamas.
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Editorial: Despite how relentless American political discourse can get, the oppression that Cubans face from their government is daunting enough.
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In the meantime, consumers are eating up as many Twinkies as they can — hoping the company’s factories won’t shut its doors for good.
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Editorial: The Republicans are too harsh on Susan Rice when basing their sole criticism on the Benghazi issue.
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Once again an international incident has set off a fever pitch of protests and demonstrations across USF.
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Though the rockets and bomb blasts are almost 7,000 miles away, the turmoil in Gaza is not far removed from U.S. interests.
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Editorial: If there were any upside to a Communist party like that in China, it would have to be that there are no pesky campaign ads or antagonizing super PACs.
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights are not an isolated issue.
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Even after deleting one’s browsing history, if one is logged into a Google account, any search is saved in the history and could potentially be accessible to all.
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Just as America prides itself on its military prowess, it should pride itself on its commitment to helping
veterans.
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If not for democracy, would the people have a right to petition?
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Column: Though both Colorado and Washington passed legislation Tuesday to legalize recreational use of marijuana, the battle to decriminalize the drug’s use has not ended.
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Editorial: If Florida hopes to maintain its importance as a state that holds a place in national politics, it needs to be able to come through on Election Day.
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Names like Elizabeth Belcher and Tom Lee, or Shawn Harrison and Mark Danish may as well have been Greek to many.
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Editorial: As the political climate gets more heated, the stretch toward undeniable election legitimacy just adds to the turmoil that is American politics.
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Scientist Michio Kaku confirmed on CBS on Nov. 2 that scientific opinion on the reality of global warming is now nearly unanimous.
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Editorial: America has lived with the Electoral College system for long enough.
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Amendment 8 is a misleading and un-American attempt to break down the wall of protection between church and state, and voters should vote no on the amendment to keep this vital separation intact.
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For now, requiring students to request game tickets and move their cars from the Sun Dome lot only impedes student attendance and adds stress to attending a basketball game.
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Amid the whirlwind of tragedy that came with a hurricane that claimed an estimated 124 fatalities as of Wednesday night, one unintended blessing has emerged after the storm — a glimpse of bipartisanship that has been missing in a political season filled with vitriol and mudslinging.
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While all those things may be useful, the best way for Americans to make their vote truly count may be to forget all of it.
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Editorial: The latest attempt for a gag order failed to prove that the content conflicts with accepted Florida Bar Association rules and will not, in the court’s view, sway potential unbiased jurors.
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Column: Amendment six ignores implications that come with pregnancy by rape.
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Editorial: A logical conclusion to draw is to blame it on human-accelerated climate change.
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Oracle photographer Jasmine Abney interviewed four students at random in the Marshall Student Center to see who they would vote for. This is what they said.
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Editorial: Amendment 12, pitched by USF graduate Rep. Shawn Harrison, is not good for the students at USF — nor for students across the state.
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On Tuesday night, Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock responded to a question about his stance on abor- tion during an Indiana debate in which he said, “Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that is something that God intended to happen.”
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President Barack Obama’s disappointing exchange with the Des Moines Register perhaps speaks louder than the decision the newspaper will make in endorsing a candidate.
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Despite circuit courts’ recent rulings to repeal DOMA, neither the Bush nor the Obama administrations have moved to change it.
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Editorial: Coulter’s use of the word reflects a larger societal problem in the U.S. of misusing offensive vocabulary words.
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Be proud of our young program and the talent that will be on the field.
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Editorial: While former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama squabbled over Libyan diplomacy and the U.S.’s presence in Syria, the premise of their arguments were off base.
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Column: Facebook should be more vigilant when enforcing its policies as well, since it left a nude photo unchecked on its website.
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Editorial: News publications do not need to prove they are radical to stay alive.
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We are calling on our politicians to stand up to dirty energy and present platforms with clean energy futures in mind.
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Editorial: It’s reassuring to know that local governments are hard at work deciding on the burdensome issues that weigh upon their citizens, ensuring that citizens are getting jobs and are not on the street.
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A letter to an editor in response to an Oct. 15 article on a USF trustee criticizing the football team.
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Editorial: The rhetoric used by candidates set them apart more than before, and Romney’s stances on key issues were hard to relate to.
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EDITORIAL: A study released Monday found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which protects against cervical cancer, is not correlated to promiscuity in girls.
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COLUMN: In today’s political system there is more evidence that third party political candidates are having a larger affect in the eyes of Americans.
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A law passed last week will allow state colleges and universities in Pennsylvania to drill for natural gas on their properties using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
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The stereotype that Asians are good at math — along with other even more detrimental ones — should be stopped by education leaders, not propagated.
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In November, citizens in Los Angeles will have an interesting choice to make: do they support requiring all performers in pornographic films to wear condoms?
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Editorial: When second-in-command hopefuls Joe Biden and Paul Ryan square off in tonight’s vice presidential debate, their real success will lie in how they are able to communicate the truth to young voters.
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Editorial: Whether or not Holtz deserves to be fired — as Facebook pages and self-proclaimed armchair sports gurus have suggested — is somewhat of a moot point.
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Column: Though it is good news that many media outlets are finally rejecting this practice of allowing sources to review their quotes before publication, why were so many of them participating in it in the first place?
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While every ballot cast should be authentic, the push to enact strict laws that delegate how Americans can vote is unethical and unconstitutional.
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Editorial: Two scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for their discovery and work with stem cells — cells that can be “programmed” to develop into different types of cells that can serve different functions in the body.
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Why is the media talking about cookies?
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Editorial: At the University of South Alabama (USA) a student, who was naked and charging at an officer outside the police station, was shot in the chest and killed Saturday morning by the officer on duty.
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Editorial: Though Romney tried to prove his firm grasp on details, lavishing on Dodd-Frank related issues, his grasp on reality was quite loose.
But the president was not much better.
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Mitt Romney said he loves Big Bird. He said he loves PBS. Heck, Mitt Romney even said he loved debate moderator Jim Lehrer.
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The Supreme Court will soon hear a case that could shake up the college admissions process.
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University foreign-language classes would better serve uninterested students if the courses were more immersive.
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Editorial: Florida’s voter registration issues should give citizens more incentive to vote for those candidates who are not wasting time using the acts of registering to vote and voting as tools to gain ground in elections.
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A growing problem during tight economic times is the reduction or lack of funding provided for public institutions such as museums. A recent visit to MOSI showed just how desperate the cash-starved museum really is.
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After witnessing the loss of USF to FSU, I felt compelled to write this quick tid-bit on my perspective of football’s impact on USF.
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Editorial: A study from Northwestern, and even a quick look at voting records, shows that since 1937, Supreme Court justices have become more politically polarized, voting more along party lines
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Editorial: CNN revealed Friday it had used U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens’ journal, which a reporter found at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi three days after deadly attacks killed him and three other Americans on Sept. 11, as a source.
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It may seem like a simple concept at first glance: Embarrass a professional football referee on national television and get fined by commissioner Roger Goodell.
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Quickly finding a spot to park on campus is a rare event. When it does happen and those extra 20 minutes before class can be spent as personal time rather than walking across a sun-drenched parking lot, the day is a good one.
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Editorial: Postponing the deadline to find a new state education commissioner was a clear message from the Florida Board of Education: education is the top priority, and politics won’t hinder it.
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Editorial: With more than 955 million Facebook users, the social media site is one of the fastest growing ways to network and find information, and employers are taking full advantage of that. More employers are using the outlet as a way to do background checks and unofficially interview candidates long before they step foot in the office.
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Recent violent outbreaks in Libya after the film “The Innocence of Muslims,” an American-made movie with an anti-Islam message launched on YouTube, led to the death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.
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In response to the Sept. 19 column “Chick-fil-A’s real problem.”
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Editorial: Though paddling and corporal punishment in schools seems to be unheard of today, it is still legal in 19 states — including Florida.
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Editorial: With less than 50 days until the presidential election, discrimination in America rears its ugly head as people are cast into voting blocks.
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Last weekend, Yunel Escobar, a player for the Toronto Blue Jays, painted a homophobic slur in Spanish on his eye-black during a game against Boston.
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Despite a summer of coverage and a petition going around campus, there still seems to be confusion in the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-A.
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Editorial: New York City voted on a ban last week that prevents soda and other sugary drinks to be sold in cups larger than 16 fluid ounces. In just a few months, restaurants, fast food chains and other regulated vendors will no longer be able to sell oversized drinks in the city.
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Former Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist has caused quite a stir.
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Newsweek is only adding to detrimental, inaccurate stereotypes of Islam with its dramatic cover image and story this week: “Muslim rage.”
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Editorial: The transition from college to the real world can be rough, and most graduates do not enter the workforce with a $40,000-a-year job.
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Worldwide protests have erupted in response to the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims.” Responses have ranged from peaceful to extreme violence, with some leading to deaths of both civilians and diplomats.
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The 11th anniversary of the horrendous terrorist attacks occurred this past week, which invariably led to commemorations of this notorious event throughout the country.
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This week, Bloomberg News reports that analysts predict the iPhone 5 will be the best-selling smartphone. As pre-sales open Friday and the phone is released Sept. 21, this prediction reflects a major problem forming in our society: addiction.
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Today a religious fanatic was proselytizing over a loudspeaker at the Marshall Student Center that could clearly be heard from the Psychology-Communication Sciences & Disorders building to the Business Administration
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Editorial: This generation of students, the so-called “Millennials,” is struck with a growing plague of news illiteracy.
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Chicago public school teachers are on strike this week after long negotiations concerning salaries, benefits and job components such as teacher evaluations. While students may sit out classroom time in these strikes, they often only last a few days and end in usually fair compromise.
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On the eleventh anniversary of the most tragic event of the new millennium, take the time to appreciate those around you.
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Editorial: Last week, lighting and an awning was carefully hung over the south facade of the Library, putting the finishing touches on USF’s new Collins Park. This project of the university’s totaled a stunning $1 million. Though the park is a pleasant addition to the campus, there are possibly a million better ways to spend $1 million.
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Letter to the Editor: Gay marriage and delicious chicken sandwiches are not political statements.
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Debate: Real Cost of College (Con)
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Debate: Real Cost of College (Pro)
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Editorial: Going to college to earn a standard four-year degree is not enough to guarantee success. Students should take advantage of opportunities to work while in school.
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The latest model of the iPhone comes out September 12, and as consumers upgrade their phones, they will downgrade their values in American capitalism.
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Editorial: Despite what was said at the RNC last week, this year’s election is offering nothing new when it comes to “opportunity” or “promises.”
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This election, our generation is asking the question: “Who represents us?” It's not a new question.
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EDITORIAL: U.S. politics are raceophobic
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On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will not be able to attract Latino voters by using prominent Latino representatives and spokespeople.
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Amidst the billowing winds of Tropical Storm Isaac and the new barricades in place to direct downtown traffic, it is obvious that something big is happening in Tampa.
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Though many stayed dry and enjoyed Hurricane Day festivities with classes canceled on what would have been the first day of the semester, USF’s Emergency Management Team made the right decision in closing all campuses Monday.
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Many Americans believe marijuana should remain illegal, but the argument over which drugs should be legal and which should not remains unsolved.
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As the election season grows nearer and the 2012 presidential election continues to reside at the forefront of the nation’s mind, college students especially must educate themselves and exercise their right to vote, both at the local and national levels.
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Though citizens should have the option to purchase weaponry at their will, they should also be thoroughly educated on the lethal dangers of guns. Unfortunately, even those who are experienced with guns sometimes lack awareness in gun safety.
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The USF Information Technology (IT) department may adopt Verdiem’s software product Surveyor. The program would put computers into sleep mode after two hours of idleness during the day and after 45 minutes during the evening.
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While America was busy celebrating its 236th birthday, Europe’s research lab Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN) announced its discovery of evidence that supports the existence of the Higgs boson after 50 years of theorizing.
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After a recent stream of armed robberies at Georgia Tech, many students and organizations at the university, including the Georgia Tech Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, have started to push for the legalization of gun carrying on campus.
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According to an analysis by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, about 60 percent of voting-eligible Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 actually voted in the 2008 elections.
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The Tutoring Center provides a gregarious yet demanding environment that is productive yet comfortable to work in. Being an international student, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with the Tutoring Center’s structure and efficacy.
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In light of the Supreme Court’s recent health care rulings, Gov. Rick Scott’s decision not to uphold some of the optional provisions of the law seems to be, as Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, said, short-sighted.
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Last week, the small town of Middleborough, Mass., population 23,000, decided it was fed up with its darned kids and their darned swearing ways.
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After the Supreme Court voted last week to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA), along with its individual mandate to purchase healthcare and reject the bulk of Arizona’s immigration laws, constituents and pundits alike went wild, rendering Chief Justice John Roberts the protagonist of a polarized parable of politics.
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American middle class household earned $49,445 in 2010. This median number is flanked on both sides by extreme wealth and extreme poverty — a division that is reflected in the distribution of students at USF and one that leads to an increased financial burden on universities.
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Paying off debt may be enough to bring fresh faces to a city or corporation, but it is not enough to keep them there.
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With Obama’s 2009 Race to the Top program to fund high-scoring schools, along with other recent developments in testing, standardizing testing has faced a significant backlash.
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The American Society of Addiction Medicine in Aug. 2011 redefined addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” The definition, at its root, was meant to reduce some of the stigma associated with addiction. Nonetheless, redefining the term will not change its effects on society, and addicts must be held accountable for their choices.
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Though USF received heavy scrutiny at the Board of Governors (BOG) meeting last week for its low graduation rates, USF has already taken action to rectify what appears to be a solvable problem.
Only 34 percent of USF’s first-time-in-college students graduate within four years, and about 52 percent graduate within six years.
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With the country’s volatile economy and high unemployment rates, many Americans are searching for ways to conserve money. Unfortunately, they are sacrificing one of the most important things in life: their health.
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With the $300 million budget cut from the state university system, Gov. Rick Scott has effectively ensured that USF will be responsible for much of its expenditures, including need-based financial aid.
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The USF Board of Trustees’ (BOT) decision to raise tuition differentials by 11 percent is just enough to cover university needs, while not overburdening students with the maximum allowable 15 percent increase.
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Pop Warner, the world’s largest youth football, cheerleading and dance organization in the world, according to the organization’s website, implemented a rule last week that has some banging their heads.
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As the demands of higher education become increasingly competitive, students continue to use prescription drugs such as Adderall for an additional advantage. A recent New York Times article, “Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill,” has sparked a revived interest in prescription drug abuse in schools and colleges.
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A zombie outbreak began in Miami last week, but it isn’t the kind you think.
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Audacious is a word that consistently describes Florida’s Republican party and its leader Gov. Rick Scott.
It also describes the state’s policy of scrubbing voters on the basis of their suspected citizenship status — a supposed effort to curb voter fraud strongly reminiscent of the 2000 elections.
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As digitalization gains momentum, it is important for universities to embrace technology as a supplement to classroom teaching.
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At USF, the number of black students enrolling is dropping. This change does not warrant immediate action from the university, though continued observation of the ethnic profile trends could eventually benefit these underrepresented minorities.
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In response to the June 1 editorial “USF could forfeit faculty quality after Lakeland additions.”
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Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, in May suggested two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2013. One which causes worry would repeal a part of the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 that prevented the Department of State from spreading its own propaganda within the country.
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Florida Polytechnic University and its creation and maintenance have been a point of contention in the state since Senate Budget Committee Chairman JD Alexander began his pursuit to create it. Now, with the former USF Lakeland campus officially becoming a university of its own, a more pressing issue surfaces: faculty members.
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When Facebook went public, its initial public offering (IPO) gave investors the chance to own a piece of the massive social network via stocks. But with the development, the company is bound to change, and this time it’s not going to be just a revamped homepage.
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The University of South Florida is “Florida’s leading metropolitan research university,” according to its mission statement.
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The economic situation calls for innovation in all respects, and education is no exception. Florida legislators are searching for a means of progress that will allow a surge in creativity and merit — and this beacon of education is apparently an online school.
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Since February 2004, Facebook has accumulated 901 million users worldwide, so it was no surprise on May 18 when the company went public at an estimated value of $100 billion.
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The shifting racial makeup could pose a generational rift between the older, mostly white America with the younger and more diverse population. This will lead to a need to reconsider policies concerning access to higher education in particular, since it will shape the future of new generations and the future of the country.
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When most students enter college, they have spent thirteen years preparing for a bachelor’s degree. That may not be enough.
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The case of Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese civil rights activist who made headlines when he escaped from abusive house arrest last month and sought solace in the U.S. Embassy, has brought the significance of study abroad and global connections to the spotlight. With substantial emphasis being placed on education abroad and globalization in universities across the nation, it is a wonder that the U.S. government seems to have trouble accepting immigrants.
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Since Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist began working on plans to improve the neighborhoods that surround the university, members of the community have adamantly voiced their support.
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With Americans owing more than $1 trillion in student loan debt, the Senate’s filibuster last week of a Democratic proposal to freeze student loan
interest rates could not come at a worse time.
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Since President Barack Obama expressed his support for same-sex marriage last week, he has been heralded with rainbow halos and dubbed the “first gay president” by Newsweek. But he has also faced harsh criticism, including being accused of having “shaken his fist at God” by Franklin Graham, an evangelist and the son of the traditional presidential spiritual adviser.
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In the current economic climate, Americans have kept a watchful eye on wasteful government spending. Expensive food and lavish perks for government officials have dominated headlines, creating embarrassing situations for officials and causing those they are meant to represent to lose trust in who they’re funding.
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Picture, if you can, a pizza topped with cheese, meat, lettuce, tomato slices and — embedded in the crust — 12 cheeseburger patties.
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When Gov. Rick Scott vetoed $1.5 million in funding for 30 certified rape crisis centers operated by the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV) in the state budget, the message was clear. The estimated 1.3 million victims of rape in the state are not important.
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An issue that both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney actually agree on can only mean two things for America — either the Mayans were right or it’s something that should be seriously considered.
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Students anxiously awaiting results on papers during finals week may be wishing professors could grade them faster, yet a new technological development may provide the perfect example of “be careful what you wish for.”
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Never before have two Florida cities been so divided by a sandwich. In what has been dubbed the “Cuban Sandwich Crisis,” Tampa and Miami have split into rival camps over which city has the rightful claim to the Cuban sandwich.
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Even though the existing 11 state universities are facing $300 million in cuts, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill Friday that will immediately turn the USF Polytechnic branch campus into the 12th independent university, Florida Polytechnic University.
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It tracks every click, browse and purchase. The only trace of evidence left behind is a cookie, and not the kind your grandmother bakes.
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Friday marks the two-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, which killed 11 workers and sent nearly 200 million gallons of British Petroleum (BP) oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico for three months.
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A dried cochineal insect found in Mexico and South America is crushed to make a red dye that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
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Though the day’s traditional pageantry includes lamenting the over-taxation of all Americans, Tax Day 2012 saw protesters actually advocating for higher taxes — as long as they’re paid by someone else.
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In the cuddly surroundings of an elementary school in Jacksonville, Gov. Rick Scott signed what he called an “education budget” Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times, patting himself on the back for his focus on education.
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The U.S. Senate’s top Republicans called for the GOP to unite behind leading presidential candidate Mitt Romney this month, a statement Vice President Joe Biden appeared to think was a joke on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
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Software engineers got a boost of satisfaction in their chosen profession last week, as the position earned the title of best job for the second year in a row in a list of the top 200 jobs by careercast.com.
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This weekend marked the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, an important moment in world history. The passing was marked in a number of ways, some of which were more tasteful than others.
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Gov. Rick Scott has received the budget bill that allows for USF Polytechnic to become the independent Florida Polytechnic University, and has until Saturday to make a decision.
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Both proper education and appropriate experience are ideal for finding a hob, but if only one is possible, experience outweighs anything learned in the classroom.
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A referendum on the Student Government ballot in February showed that 93 percent of students are interested in signing a “real food” commitment that would require at least 20 percent of the food purchased by campus dining services to be local and require fair treatment of workers as well as higher qualities of food.
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According to the Tampa Bay Times, USF President Judy Genshaft has come to the rescue of Hillsborough County’s Urban Teaching Academy program. Yet it seems that “rescue” will be more complicated than was initially reported.
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Congress and the White House are becoming increasingly more involved in the regulations passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. is once again at the center of media innovation, but for all the wrong reasons.
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In a sure-to-be hotly debated decision, special prosecutor Angela Corey announced that a grand jury will not examine the case of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed in Sanford by self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman.
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In response to the April 5 editorial “Absence, apathy at budget meeting shows SG’s failing”:
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Yet another potentially harmful gun regulation law will allow concealed weapons in the “clean zone” surrounding this year’s Republican National Convention (RNC).
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During the past month, consumers and media outlets have expressed outrage over a beef additive found in many products that resembles a “pink slime” in its manufacturing process.
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In a unanimous vote Tuesday, Student Government (SG) passed the 2012-13 Activity and Service Fee budget, which came in at $13,595,429.
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A Boston University School of Medicine study found that nearly one in five pharmacies report that it is “impossible” for 17-year-old girls to buy emergency contraception, despite their legal right to do so.
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In a nearly unanimous vote of 30-0-1, Student Government (SG) passed the student-paid Activity and Service (A&S) fee budget bill last night with no amendments and few questions.
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It has inexplicably taken until now, as the Syrian opposition’s death toll surges toward 10,000 and more than a year has passed since Bashar al-Assad’s government resorted to unrestricted violence to put down a previously peaceful uprising, for tangible assistance to be provided to the Syrian resistance movement by the Western world.
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After a New Jersey man was mistakenly arrested for not paying a paid traffic ticket, then subjected to strip-searches at two jails, the Supreme Court ruled Monday that officials may strip-search those arrested for any offense.
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With the cost of higher education on the rise, proposed cuts to federal aid programs will increase the financial burdens of families with college students. While paying for college is part of a student’s responsibility, the federal government should not cut more funding than absolutely necessary.
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Since the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of a neighborhood watchman who was not arrested after claiming self-defense, the Florida Stand Your Ground law has been a subject of controversy.
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Republican criticisms of President Barack Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline project have been a consistent presence in news articles since January. However, the pipeline is not the answer to lower gas prices.
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As the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Tampa nears its Aug. 27-30 date, the pressure is on for Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and the city of Tampa to figure out the logistics of the enormous event.
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This month, Republican politicians have relentlessly proposed legislation that affects the lives of women — acts that could cost them votes.
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Though presidential hopeful Rick Santorum may view his latest bout with the media as an opportunity to take a stand against biased coverage, he should have kept his foot out of his mouth for the sake of his campaign.
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Disbelief and outrage quickly spread across Afghanistan and the U.S. last week when Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly went on a vicious killing spree that resulted in the deaths of 17 innocent Afghan civilians.
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When Gov. Rick Scott announced in February that he would reject any proposals for state universities to increase tuition, it seemed that he had restored his reputation among protesting students.
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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act affects the health care of more than 30 million people — among them, students and citizens under age 26.
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As the Major League Baseball (MLB) season prepares to kick off, our cash-poor hometown Rays received good news Tuesday that a permanent move may soon get another at-bat.
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The lackluster fan turnout that has plagued the Tampa Bay Rays is not an issue of physical address, but the lack of camaraderie in the Bay area as a whole.
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About two hours away from USF, Sanford, Fla. is home to one of today’s biggest news stories — the shooting and killing of unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by resident George Zimmerman.
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Instead of beating the drums of war, the U.S. must recognize that the threat of force upon another nation will encourage armament and could escalate to a war.
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Starting today, members of the USF community worried about the damaging effects of cigarettes and secondhand smoke may breath a deep sigh of relief as a campus-wide smoking ban goes into effect.
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Over the past decade, researchers have been on the path to providing cancer patients with new treatment options.
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Since it first hit the Internet earlier this month, social networking sites have been buzzing with hash tags and pleas to help spread Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign.
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At the end of this excruciatingly long week, students will be packing their bags to go home, board cruise ships and catch planes.
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Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford ruled Tuesday that last year's pension plan that would effectively reduce public employees' salaries by 3 percent was unconstitutional.
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Last week, 17-year-old T.J. Lane fired randomly at students at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, killing three and seriously injuring two. According to the New York Times, prosecutors said it is likely Lane will be transferred from juvenile court and be charged as an adult for these crimes
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Though Rush Limbaugh issued an apology Monday for his inappropriate comments toward a female Georgetown University Law student, many, including his advertisers, are not accepting it.
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When reading of African nations in turmoil, Americans often imagine that violence is the defining mindset in the country.
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The Florida House passed the USF Polytechnic and budget bill Monday and claimed compromise in favor of USF, but many costs associated with creating Florida Polytechnic University remain unaddressed.
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Universities around the country, including USF, are making steps in the right direction to create energy-sustainable campuses.
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In addition to Florida Polytechnic University, many speculate that state Sen. JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, may see more of his dreams materialize in Polk County.
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Newt Gingrich promises to eliminate the capital gains tax so more money can flow into the market. This sounds like a good plan in theory, but after some careful thought, it may not be so great.
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The Hillsborough County School District drafted guidelines Tuesday that would regulate outside speakers in K-12 classrooms. The changes come in response to complaints from conservative activists after Hassan Shilby, a lawyer and imam, spoke to an Advanced Placement (AP) world history class at Steinbrenner High School.
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When it comes to creating long-standing political parties, USF has failed where many other universities have succeeded — a positive testament to the Student Government (SG) voting system.
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USF President Judy Genshaft met with the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Tuesday to discuss the timeline for the USF Polytechnic split and discovered what many Floridians following the issue were assuming.
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This week, Maryland could become the eighth state to approve same-sex marriage, a decision that would ultimately benefit all residents of the state.
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Many USF students take Fletcher Avenue to get to class every day. Traffic often lines the four-lane road and while engineers believe widening the road is sorely needed, there is difficulty getting federal or state money to fund the project.
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Spending time with friends is a great thing, but living with them is a different story. Though it may seem like the perfect idea and may even be easy at first, rooming with friends can come with a lot of complications.
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USF won another small victory in its battle with the Senate's proposed budget Thursday, turning legislators' focus back to the USF Polytechnic split.
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At one time, the most controversial thing about the Girl Scouts of America was the ever-increasing price of their signature cookies. Yet now, the 100-year-old organization has become embroiled in scandals that have labeled it pro-abortion and pro-transgender
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When the Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, media outlets reeled at the prospect that affirmative action could be abolished.
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Best known for prompting shrieks and swatting of air, bees rarely receive proper recognition for their contributions to humankind. But now that they are disappearing by the thousands, it will be up to humans to ensure their survival.
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The House approved a measure Tuesday that would allow universities that meet certain requirements to raise tuition with no limits. Currently, only University of Florida and Florida State University meet at least the minimum 11 of 14 requirements necessary to qualify.
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USF President Judy Genshaft and state Sens. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, and Evelyn Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, held a "productive" meeting Monday evening concerning budget cuts, but revealed little about what progress was made.
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In response to proposed budget cuts to USF:
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Jeremy Lin, who was born in the U.S. and is of Taiwanese heritage, is off to one of the best starts in NBA history. But much of the talk surrounding the New York Knicks breakout point guard has revolved around race.
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Hannah Kelley, 20, was accidentally shot through a wall of her family's church in Lealman, Fla., and died Saturday. Authorities have determined that the shooting was an accident, but the tragedy shows the dangers of firearms in even the most seemingly safe situations involving them.
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Instead of an equal, reasonable discussion, USF students who attended Wednesday's Florida Senate Budget Committee meeting were met with condescending attitudes from senators, who questioned their ability to understand the Florida budget.
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When students learned of a Florida Senate budget proposal to cut USF funding by 58 percent, many immediately set out to change the minds of the Legislature before the cuts became a reality.
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The world-famous Mystery Monkey of Tampa Bay has haunted the tree-lined streets of the Bay area for the past few years, escaping many attempts at capture and capturing the imaginations of people everywhere.
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The Florida Senate has proposed a budget that would cut 58 percent of USF's budget, with Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lakes Wales, behind the scenes as Senate Budget Committee chairman — all while creating far less drastic cuts for other universities.
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Catholics are traditionally opposed to birth control and being forced to provide it for their employees creates a moral dilemma. Though some exceptions to the mandate have been made, they do little to respect personal and religious convictions.
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Though it may go against the ideas of those in charge of religiously affiliated institutions, they should not be granted the right to deny their employees access to medical treatment and preventative measures that they would receive under another employer according to the law.
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A Florida man was sentenced to pick up flowers for his wife, buy her dinner at Red Lobster and then take her bowling after being arrested for domestic violence, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
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After it was announced that the firm Skanska won the contract for the new $46.5 million USF Polytechnic campus and donated a hefty $1 million to the USF Foundation a year later, many wondered if USF was more concerned with donations than qualifications when choosing contractors for University building projects.
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At least 1 million children and adults are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or related disorders such as Asperger's.
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Cheerleading may not be considered a valid Title IX sport, but USF's STUNT team has the possibility of being recognized as one by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
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After shootings occurred at two Tampa area nightclubs in October and November last year, the Tampa City Council is considering options that would ban patrons under 21 from attending clubs.
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Any fan watching the Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Florida Panthers on Saturday couldn't help but notice the Tampa Bay Times logo scattered about the arena.
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As students prepare for another potential 15 percent increase in tuition — despite Gov. Rick Scott's claimed plan to veto any tuition hikes — the USF Foundation Office of Annual Giving has created an organization that is asking students for more money.
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Vegetarians and vegans can vouch that if the most frequently asked question about their diet isn't, "Why?" then it is most certainly, "How do you get everything you need?"
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Last week, Google Inc. announced its new privacy policy, which will take effect March 1.
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The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation decided Tuesday to stop providing grants for breast cancer screenings to Planned Parenthood, some say due to pressure from anti-abortion groups.
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It's no secret that the politicians who have the most money invested in their campaign seem to be everywhere during election season. This is certainly true when it comes to Florida and Mitt Romney's win in the Florida presidential primaries Tuesday night.
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Talking to an insurance company regarding a sinkhole under a home doesn't seem as pleasant as biting into a perfectly grown Florida strawberry, but for residents of eastern Hillsborough County the two are interconnected.
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Staggering amounts of recent off-campus crimes surrounding Tulane and Loyola universities in New Orleans have left many students concerned about their safety.
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Occupy USF joined hundreds of protesters outside last week's NBC Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, and while the success of the presidential primary candidates won't be decided before Tuesday's primary, it's not too soon to pick a winner — the Occupy protesters.
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President Barack Obama repeated many of the ideas presented in his State of the Union Address Friday at the University of Michigan; emphasizing that "higher education is not a luxury — it's an economic imperative."
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This month has thrown academia and the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) into an uproar.
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A Wisconsin high school newspaper drew national attention this month when it ran two opposing opinion columns discussing adoption by same-sex couples.
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On Friday, President Barack Obama ruled that religious hospitals and businesses could not restrict employee insurance coverage for birth control and Sunday marked the 39th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. But in Florida, abortion is conversely being restricted in new laws that, ultimately, will not stop the procedure from
happening.
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While the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) dominated last week's headlines, another damaging intellectual property decision actually passed with relatively little outcry.
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The NBC Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, hosted Monday at USF, provided a great opportunity for the Tampa area to get a firsthand look at the political issues in this year's election.
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On Friday, congressional leaders postponed voting on two antipiracy bills after an overwhelming number of protesters spoke out against the proposed legislation.
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The NBC Republican Presidential Candidates Debate descends onto campus today, bringing a national spotlight to USF. With all four remaining candidates confirmed and the Florida primary only a week away, the debate is an incredibly important political event.
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The Supreme Court announced Tuesday that it will not intervene in three cases of First Amendment controversies over students on the Internet — a move that could have dangerous repercussions.
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In tough economic times, many students wonder if their college education is costing them more than it's worth, an issue The Chronicle of Higher Education is calling "The Value Gap."
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In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Daily Beast set out to determine the top 20 most tolerant cities in America.
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As the race for the presidential nominee narrows, Florida has positioned itself to be a driving force — hosting the Republican National Convention in August and even sacrificing delegate votes to push up the Florida primaries for better exposure.
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Keep trying, Republican candidates, and maybe your voracious Twitter blasts will attract a couple of young voters. #JKLOL
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In an attempt to gain more influence over the Republican nomination for the presidential race, Florida may have inadvertently ousted itself from the conversation.
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Steinbrenner High School teacher Kelly Miliziano received more than a mere parent complaint when she invited a Muslim speaker to visit her class.
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State budget shortfalls seem to be a reoccurring theme across the U.S. However, though governors are forced to think of increasingly creative ways to plug ever-widening holes, they must also stay grounded in reality to avoid dreaming up ridiculous proposals like Missouri Gov.
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Two months ago, East Carolina University and its independent student newspaper, The East Carolinian, made headlines when they ran full-frontal photos of a football-game streaker on their front page.
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President Barack Obama isn't happy.
The president seems to have lost his spark, as media have buzzed with speculation over the root of his gloomy demeanor between coverage of those vying for his job.
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The University is playing around with a new name: "University of South Florida Tampa Bay."
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The Kansas governor's office recently made a laughingstock of itself after trying to get back at a teenager who tweeted disparaging remarks about Gov. Sam Brownback.
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St. Petersburg is the saddest city in America, with Tampa right behind at No. 4, according to a study by Men's Health magazine, which used such data as unemployment and suicide rates, antidepressant usage and numbers of people who admit depression.
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott has borrowed many of his misguided education ideas from Texas, but he may have a new role model: China.
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Texas Congressman Republican Ron Paul is not your usual presidential candidate.
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USF played a football game this weekend, but many students probably missed it. That's because USF played at 11 a.m. Friday, when students were either recovering from a post-Thanksgiving food coma or fighting the crowds looking for Black Friday deals.
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Leadership worldwide is under scrutiny. From the uprisings in the Middle East, to "Occupy" protests in Europe and America, leaders everywhere are truly beginning to understand the hardships and responsibilities of democracy.
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In the aftermath of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, where a failure in communications may have allowed child abuse to continue unchecked, U.S. universities are considering policy changes to prevent such incidences from reoccurring.
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In remembrance of the JFK assassination:
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A proposed policy at the University of Missouri would require students to obtain written permission from their professors and classmates to record class lectures or discussions.
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Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is not the only one having to answer to sexual harassment claims. According to a study from the American Association of University Women, nearly half of secondary school students have experienced sexual harassment, defined as "unwelcome sexual behavior that takes place in person or electronically."
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Student loan debt is a growing concern within the Occupy movement, and a group of New York protesters have a solution: absolve all student debt.
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East Carolina University students were in for a surprise when they picked up the Nov. 8 issue of the school's student newspaper, The East Carolinian, which featured full-frontal nude photos of a male football-game streaker.
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In response to the Nov. 14 editorial "Occupy USF is flawed, misguided":
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Last week's Board of Governors (BOG) meeting was intended to resolve the USF Polytechnic issue, but its decision only complicated the matter.
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Cheating on the SATs, ACTs and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has been rampant, according to several articles in the New York Times. Numerous examples of cheating on the college admissions exams have been uncovered over the past semester.
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‘Occupy' may become the word of the year, as the movement that started with Occupy Wall Street has swept across the U.S. and overseas in the last few months.
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In response to higher education priorities:
Listening to the leaders of our country's most innovative companies, one of their biggest concerns about investing in America is whether our workforce has the education necessary to power their growth
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Not long ago, at a regional campus not so far away, USF Polytechnic decided to boldly go where no public university had gone before and spend $10,000 on four life-size, "museum quality"
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In the age of social media, students are constantly warned about what they post on their Facebook page or Twitter account, as prospective employers may be reading. For those who have jobs, it is considered bad form to trash talk one's employer online, even on private pages bosses can't see.
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Plagiarism has always been a problem for colleges, and it shows no sign of going away. About 62 percent of undergraduates admit to having cheated on writing assignments, according to data from Clemson University's International Center for Academic Integrity.
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Hosting an event such as the Republican National Convention (RNC) is supposed to bring myriad benefits to cities, including an economic boost. Considering the state of the economy, next year's RNC may be just what Tampa needs.
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Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been in the national spotlight since his days at the University of Florida, where his on-the-field accomplishments made him one of the greatest college football players of all time.
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After President Barack Obama presented his plan to step up federal student loan reform last week, Republican presidential candidate and businessman Herman Cain suggested a plan of his own: shifting the burden of student lending from the federal level to the states.
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Even in the U.S., the fight for freedom is not over.
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A Christian student organization at USF, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, lost its Activity and Service (A&S) funding last week after the organization removed a student from a leadership position in response to her coming out as bisexual.
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Boys ages 11 through 21 should start getting vaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV), according to a suggestion released last week by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board voted last week to eliminate 64 degree programs at public universities. Another 145 programs were voluntarily cut.
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A proposed constitutional amendment will ask voters in Mississippi next week, "Should the term ‘person' be defined to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof?"
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President Barack Obama announced his plan to provide relief to student loan debt during a speech in Denver last week.
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In response to the Oct. 19 article "Firearms trigger campus debate."
Given the political unrest that permeates the country, economic shortcomings that affect every social class and daily frustrations stemming from both, I consider myself and every other student on the USF campus to be in danger.
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Voter apathy has always been a problem among young people, despite vigorous voter registration drives every election year. Florida's new election laws will do nothing to help the issue, as third-party registration groups may face the threat of fines.
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Both the Occupy Wall Street and the tea party movements are a symbol of the times. The American people are growing tired of the wealth disparity that has grown in recent years. Wall Street executives are receiving record bonuses in the post-bailout era while millions of Americans have lost their jobs, homes and a piece of the American Dream.
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Gov. Rick Scott is not making any friends in higher education this month.
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There is a growing trend among states to test welfare recipients for drug use. According to the New York Times, three dozen states, such as Arizona, Missouri and Indiana, have passed policies that drug test those who receive government assistance, such as food stamps, unemployment assistance and public housing.
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Recent changes in state regulations have reignited the debate over whether students with concealed weapon permits should be allowed to bring firearms onto campus.
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Last week, California passed the first legislation in the country banning indoor tanning devices for all minors in the state.
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The Florida State Board of Education and the Board of Governors face a federal class-action lawsuit that claims the state has discriminated against U.S.-born students whose parents may be illegal immigrants.
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Twenty years after Naomi Wolf's "The Beauty Myth" was published, girls and women are still under assault by media images depicting narrow beauty ideals and stereotypes, leading to low self-esteem and body image disorders. The National Organization for Women (NOW) wants to change that with today's National Love Your Body Day.
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Earlier this month, sexual battery charges were dropped against former Upward Bound (UB) mentor Herron Gaston, who was accused of having sex with a minor.
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The Occupy Wall Street movement has extended far past New York City's Zuccotti Park over the past few weeks. Even the White House has picked up the cause.
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Law schools train students to be well versed in every aspect of the law, and many recent graduates, facing a tough job market, have used that education to turn on their alma maters by filing lawsuits.
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Liberal arts majors and anthropologists across the country are up in arms after Florida Gov. Rick Scott remarked that state universities should shift funding to science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) fields because those are the majors that create jobs.
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On top of pursuing its already dubious decision to separate from the USF System, the USF Polytechnic campus is also going ahead with its plans to build a new multimillion dollar new campus.
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The Great Recession must not claim the judicial branch as another one of its victims.
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Many American reforms have made their mark on history through protests — women's suffrage, the civil rights movement and the ongoing gay rights movement, to name a few.
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Recent technological advances in biology, chemistry and computer sciences are making the dream of living a longer and healthier life a reality.
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When visitors reach apple.com, they are now greeted by a quizzical yet mischievous portrait of Steve Jobs, the charismatic Apple CEO who has been lauded by media outlets as one of the foremost visionaries of our time.
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Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) proposed a bill last week that would allow federal prosecutors to bring conspiracy charges against U.S. citizens for planning activities abroad that would violate U.S. drug laws. "Under this bill, if a young couple plans a wedding in Amsterdam, and as part of the wedding, they plan to buy the bridal party some marijuana, they would be subject to prosecution," Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, told the Huffington Post.
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Last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs certainly accomplished much during his tenure with Apple, but what will be his legacy?
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Pinellas County voted to discontinue fluoridating its water supply last week. The addition of fluoride to public water systems was adopted by the U.S. Public Health Service as an official policy in 1950 to reduce cavities and promote oral health.
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Criminal trials that receive widespread media coverage can be a great platform for discussing the shortcomings of American society, but the media's coverage routinely has shortcomings itself — particularly when it comes to race.
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Cyberbullying has become a real problem in the last decade. Internet users, particularly teens and children, are routinely victimized under the veil of anonymity provided by the web.
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U.S. foreign aid has a significant impact on people around the world, funding countries directly and indirectly through agencies such as the Department of State and Non-Government Organizations such as the World Food Programme. However, aid has been drawn back severely this year.
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In response to the Sept. 28 article "Ducklings at risk on campus":
I was deeply moved by the tragic story of the helpless little ducks chronicled in The Oracle. This has inspired me to propose another necessary reform: squirrel crosswalks.
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Florida's Sunshine Laws are intended to keep the state's government transparent and accountable. Whenever public records information is requested, the price is no more than the lowest paid employee's labor capable of the job plus the cost to make the copies, according to Florida Statutes.
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Fewer women than men hold careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and his past have been placed under a microscope since his election in 2010. The Spanish-language media broadcasting company Univision, in particular, has had an extensive history with the senator.
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Australia began a five-year process of opening the ranks of all its combat units to women Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, a reform that the U.S. has considered before, but has not yet decided on.
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Gov. Rick Scott has expressed interest in reforming higher education in Florida by imitating a plan proposed by Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, even asking Florida college presidents their opinions on the proposal, according to Jacksonville's News4Jax.
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Nearly two years after a disastrous earthquake hit Haiti, reconstruction of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country is far from completion.
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In New York City, at least 80 protesters were arrested Saturday outside the New York Stock Exchange. The protesters, part of a movement called Occupy Wall Street, have been there continuously since Sept. 17, according to their website.
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The French government banned praying in the streets of Paris last week. While the law is targeted toward Muslims, it will apply to people of all faiths.
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The Big East remains — for now. Big East university presidents and athletic directors discussed the fate of USF's athletics conference during a meeting Tuesday night.
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President Barack Obama has characterized himself as the father figure in the continuing argument between bickering sides of Congress. He has made concessions and attempted to compromise with the House of Representatives and Senate Republicans, but his diplomatic efforts have borne little fruit.
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On Aug. 9, the Internet terrorist group Anonymous sent out a press release describing plans to take down Facebook on Nov. 5.
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For decades, Americans have been consuming large quantities of refined carbohydrates that have led to increases in obesity, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other diseases that have sparked a serious health crisis in the
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Though their views ignite controversy on multiple fronts, the tea party is right about one thing: America's entitlement programs need to be reformed.
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Last week, the U.S. observed the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a moment marked by reflection on the lives lost in the initial attacks, as well as the innumerable ways the world has changed in the past decade.One event in post-9/11 history that may have been overlooked still holds ramifications for higher education in general, but USF in particular.
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The Tampa City Council has been debating the merits of sending an official letter to the government of Cuba according to the St. Petersburg Times, offering greetings to an island nation that has been under a U.S. trade embargo for the past five decades.
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With the excessive changes in the Middle East, the heat is on for Israel. With rising discontent in the region, shaken foundations between Israel and Turkey and the Palestinians' potential declaration of statehood later this month, there must be significant changes in the worldwide Middle Eastern policy.
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The idea of "pre-crime" technology may seem straight out of the 2002 film "Minority Report." However, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, common software used by economists, seismologists and financial analysts are already being used to try to predict crimes before they happen.
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The Tea Party Express rolled into Tampa last night for a televised debate on CNN, with jobs and economic reform as the prevailing themes. Of the eight candidates who attended, two distinguished themselves as front-runners: Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The pair stood out as the two strongest and most confident candidates.
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In response to the Sept. 7 article "Higher education reform proposals raise concerns at USF" Thank you for running the Sept. 7 article on faculty and administration concerns about some of Gov. Rick Scott's proposals. Since some of them involve tenure, we should be clear about what tenure is — and what it is not.
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With the passing of the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks came a surge of heightened emotion throughout the U.S. Sunday. Yet, not all of that emotion funneled into pride, remembrance and the forward movement of the nation — some of it was channeled into pure disgust.
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If motorists flash their headlights to warn of a hazard, is it illegal? What if that hazard is a speed trap?
Controversy has recently been raised in the Tampa Bay area concerning the legal use of light signals.
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Israel's recent foreign relations are fraught with uncertainty.
Longtime ally Turkey has distanced itself from Israel ever since the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) stormed a Turkish ship during the Gaza flotilla incident in 2010. Neighboring Syria is rioting under a general crackdown, and on top of that, Egyptian citizens mobbed the Israeli embassy in Cairo last week. The ambassador was forced to flee to Israel, according to Reuters.
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In response to Lee Roy Selmon's passing:
Most people saw Lee Roy Selmon as an iconic football player and a Tampa Bay star. For others, he was a friend, a colleague, a husband, a father, a grandfather, an uncle, a brother, a son and a role model. Just last Tuesday, my co-workers and I were trying to convince Lee Roy to get a Twitter.
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For our generation, this decade will be remembered by the terrorism that marked its birth. The Sept. 11 decade saw a titanic shift in U.S. domestic policies toward terrorism and the Bill of Rights. When President Barack Obama was elected in 2008, it was viewed as a rebuke of the policies of former President George W. Bush's administration.
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The U.S. has the largest defense budget in the world, at a sum of $680 billion for the year of 2010, according to thehill.com.
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Gender identity is an important part of anyone's personality. Yet, gender identity and expression has yet to be included within USF's anti-discrimination policies..
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In response to the Sept. 1 article "No discrimination protection for gender identity at USF"
I am a biological female, and I happen to feel that my body matches the rest of me. Not everyone is so fortunate, and I understand that.
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USF doesn't seem to care that its students are broke.
The first week of school, students are expected to have all required materials for their classes, as well as a parking permit to attend their first classes or else risk getting dropped. Many would want to buy these items with help from their financial aid. However, that is not available until the second week of school.
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When Tommy Frane and William Kilgore began filming an arrest earlier this year, they probably did not anticipate being arrested as well.
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As the race for the U.S. presidency gains momentum, headlines applauding and lampooning candidates have berated the public. The merits of presidential hopefuls are questioned on every platform; however, religion has proved to be the scarlet letter for GOP candidates.
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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has spent the last weekend campaigning in Florida for her GOP presidential primary, but she may be doing more harm to her cause than good.
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College graduates entering the work force today are facing unprecedented challenges when seeking employment, leaving many wondering about the merits of graduate education.
According to a poll conducted by consulting firm Twentysomething Inc., 85 percent of college graduates plan to move back in with their parents this year. Likewise, unemployment among adult men and women over the age of 20 for July was 9 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.
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The six-month Libyan civil war is seemingly coming to a close. The rebels have pushed Colonel Moammar Gadhafi loyalists into the city of Sirte and even Gadhafi's family has fled Libya, according to Reuters.
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Last week, "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart called 2012 presidential candidate and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) the "13th floor in a hotel," regarding how the politician has been ignored in the media.
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Smokers across America are cashing in on new Roll Your Own (RYO) cigarette machines that offer cheaper cigarettes.
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As the GOP presidential primary draws near, the media has set its sights on two conservative women — confirmed candidate Michele Bachmann and possible runner former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. These news outlets have analyzed both political figures from seemingly every angle, with such wildly contrasting classifications as strong, crazy, outsider and opportunist.
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Businesses and shops that deal in gold have become commonplace across America. Pawn shops as well as new
companies that buy and sell gold in mall shops have made gold speculation easily accessible to Americans On Sept. 16, 2008 — the same day global investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
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When news broke last month that USF planned to change its housing policy, much of the attention was focused on changes meant to help transgender students. However another issue that was eclipsed by the gender neutrality controversy could make just as many waves in the near future.
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Months have passed since the eventual fall of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, but little has progressed in the Arab world's most populous country.
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By now, many students have noticed the Bulls flags branding USF's campus and the ongoing Leroy Collins Boulevard construction, but may be unaware that they represent part of a larger goal.
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The final space shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center earlier this month signified the end of an era, and for many Americans, that last flight carried the same bitter disappointment of a child giving up dreams of becoming an astronaut.
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The News of the World, Britain's best-selling Sunday tabloid according to the Guardian, printed its final copy July 10 after reports of corruption, bad business and illegal activity forever smeared the paper with a reputation for unethical and criminal reporting.
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On Tuesday, online video streaming website Netflix announced that it will change the current plans offered to subscriber by Sept. 1, inciting backlash from consumers.
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On July 7, USF became the first college in the state to allow students to identify themselves as male, female or "transitioning" when applying for on-campus housing.
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When it comes to planning one's future, many will go to any extent to achieve their goals. For students, post-graduation aspirations such as law school or medical school come with high expectations on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test) or MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).
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News broke last weekend that President Barack Obama plans to cut foreign aid to Pakistan by $800 million — money that would be used to reimburse the country for military operations at the Afghan border, as well as help provide training and supplies for its military.
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Keith McHenry, co-founder of the charity organization Food Not Bombs, was arrested last week with two other accomplices for what has been described as "food terrorism" by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. Their crime? Feeding the homeless in Lake Eola Park.
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President Barack Obama took the unusual step of holding a Twitter "town hall" Wednesday afternoon in an effort to answer questions straight from the minds of ordinary citizens that use the popular media service.
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When Casey Anthony was acquitted of first-degree murder charges relating to the death of her infant daughter, Caylee Anthony, in an Orlando courthouse Tuesday, jaws dropped.
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Gov. Rick Scott, in a purely political move, rejected federal funding in February for a high-speed rail project connecting Tampa to Orlando.
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Summer camp is in some ways a staple of the American psyche and pop culture. One need look no further than Nickelodeon's television series "Salute Your Shorts" or "American Pie Presents: Band Camp" for wide-ranging examples.
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A battle is raging in Washington, D.C. over raising the debt ceiling, which the U.S. hit May 16.
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The fight for gay marriage reached a significant milestone Friday, when a bill legalizing gay marriage passed through the New York Senate.
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The man who jumped from balconies, cycled into a field of cactuses and traversed an Iceland waterfall in a barrel died Monday morning in a tragic car crash.
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On Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. was brutally attacked by the terrorist organization al-Qaida, resulting in the deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans. In retaliation, then-President George W. Bush directed the American military to wage war on the terrorist group and the Taliban regime that harbored it in Afghanistan in retaliation.
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In response to the June 16 editorial "Don't fund the smoking ban." I am puzzled by the stance The Oracle has taken on the partial smoking ban in the last few months. While the majority of students, faculty and other interested parties have shown support through surveys and Student Government elections, The Oracle is grasping at straws by claiming the ban is not a proper use of funds.
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Three years ago, a 2-year-old girl disappeared near Orlando. Her body was found five months later. In the ensuing years, much has been made of the death of Caylee Anthony, generating a huge amount of media coverage. While the public certainly has a right to know about the case, the media should exercise good taste in dealing with the tragedy.
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It's been nearly three weeks since the "Weinergate" scandal broke onto the news scene. First, a non-nude crotch shot of Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) emerged on Twitter. Later, a fully nude picture was released. Now, there are strong calls from members of both parties for the representative to resign.
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