Grace Ubben

Reduce harsh sentences for drug crimes https://www.gainesville.com/opinion/20200126/editorial-reduce-harsh-sentences-for-drug-crimes In this article, published on January 26, 2020, the author is stating that Congress is in the process of passing legislation that could reduce harsh sentences for people convicted of drug related crimes. The author explains how loosening the mandatory minimum sentence for specific drug offenses could save taxpayers as much as $50 million. These savings could be spent in other areas, including drug treatment and job training programs for inmates, which would better protect public safety. If this legislation is passed it could affect as many as 4,800 inmates in Florida's prison system.  The problem: A good portion of the money Floridians pay in taxpayer dollars are currently spent putting people convicted of drug trafficking offenses in jail, even though the majority of cases are nonviolent.  The people: Floridians, current and future drug t...

I believe there is an unmet need in regards to healthy, organic fast food options on campus. Every incoming freshman gets the dreaded talk about avoiding the fifteen pounds that incoming freshman are known to gain during their first year of college, also known as the "freshman 15". The tendency to gain weight at the beginning of college is significant enough to earn this lasting title. College is a big step. Students start to form new eating habits once they are living on their own without mom and dad telling them what to do. More time is spent studying, so it can be easy to mindlessly snack on junk and spend less time being active. For many, food is a comfort used to combat the homesickness and emotional stress of being away from home. As a result, after freshman year many students start to take their health more seriously. The university gym gets packed and as students move into apartments, they learn how to cook for themselves and eat healthier. The problem is that most of...

The first time I remember being exposed to entrepreneurship was when I joined Girl Scout troop 90 as a little Brownie Scout at the beginning of elementary school. My brothers were all in Boy Scouts and I saw them selling giant tins of delicious chocolate covered caramel popcorn and winning cool prizes, like pocket knives and bow and arrows, for their earnings. But I couldn't let my brothers have all the fun, so I begged my mom to find me a Girl Scout troop.  I loved everything about Girl Scouts. We held monthly meetings where we would choose different badges or activities that we wanted to work towards earning, in things like gardening, scrapbooking, horseback riding, dancing, inventing, volunteering, and cybersecurity. (The badges they have today are even better!) We went on some camping trips, although our troop leaders joked that we did more glamping than camping. (Let's just say, we were not very adventurous girls. Clean, air conditioned cabins were the only way ...

1. The fact that good, quality pillows are so expensive WHY it exists: Pillows are critical in providing proper support and alignment, and preventing neck and shoulder pain as we sleep. The price tag is usually dependent on the materials used in the pillow. While cheaper, less supportive pillows may be filled with polyester or synthetic down, a more expensive, supportive pillow may be filled with real down or latex memory foam. 2. Speed dips WHY it exists: Speed dips prevent cars from speeding down a road and keep driving speeds down to a safe speed. 3. The massive markup of food and drinks at the airport WHY it exists: The airport has significantly higher operating costs than most other places. Products are shipped in small quantities, delivered at off hours and have to go through several security screenings. 4. Nonstick pans that start to stick over time WHY it exists: When you have a lack of knowledge about how to prevent sticking, such as avoiding using cooking sprays and...

My name is Grace Ubben. I am an advertising major at UF and I will be graduating this May. My goals after school are to move to a big city, land a job that encourages me to express my creativity through my work, do more international travel, and adopt a french bulldog puppy.