You’re on your way to your final exam of the semester, and you should be going over equations in your head. Instead, your mind is thinking about summer days spent sleeping in and on home-cooked meals. The semester has flown by. There have been a few wins and a few losses, but you’ve made it through all the same. You find yourself with a small smile on your face, allowing yourself to revel in a little self-pride.
There’s pride, but there’s also a twinge of sadness. You’re leaving Gainesville for the summer, and you know you will miss the people you’ve grown used to seeing every day. The short walk to your exam has turned into a time of reflection and nostalgia, a bit too introspective when you should be thinking about the functions of a cell. Pushing your thoughts of the semester aside, you walk into your exam room and grab a test.
As you settle in to your seat, you peek at the front of your exam and the title throws you off. You realize you’ve been so distracted by your thoughts that you must have walked into the wrong class because your exam is not titled “Microbiology” like it’s supposed to. Instead, it reads...
Darts & Laurels
Grab your tissues because it is time to accept that this is the last Darts & Laurels of the semester. We’ll start you off easy with some good news in this trying time: one word, Beyoncé. We are giving a laurel to Beyoncé, who on Wednesday morning did what she does best. She surprised everyone with a major music drop, this time in the form of a Netflix special and live album. Both the Netflix film and her album are titled, “Homecoming.” The movie is a recording of her Coachella performance last year where she became the first black woman to headline the festival. It features her preparing for her performance along with a sweet cameo of her daughter, Blue Ivy.
On the topic of celebrities and influential people, Time Magazine released its annual issue of Time’s 100 most influential people. We are giving out a laurel to Time for highlighting people who have made a positive impact on our lives. The list includes people like Michelle Obama, Taylor Swift, Dwayne Johnson, Gayle King and other newsmakers of the past year. Each description of a person has been written by a friend or colleague describing what has earned that person a spot on this list. Time’s full list can be read online.
On Thursday, the long-awaited redacted Mueller report was released. It continues to be read and analyzed, but there have been a few key points discussed. As we have known, the investigation could not confirm that President Donald Trump colluded with Russians during the 2016 election. However, a few interesting points have been mentioned, like how Trump could be quoted saying, “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency.” The investigation has also spawned 14 other inquiries, according to the New York Times. In the end, we’re giving a dart out to Trump. Throughout the investigation, it has become clear he used his power to try to protect himself from the probe on a number of occasions.
Finally, we are offering our show of support to the people of Paris and anyone who has been affected by the tragic burning of the Notre-Dame de Paris on Monday. The cause of the fire is still unknown and an investigation is currently underway. The cathedral is not only a symbol of France but also a symbol of Catholicism and has been for over 800 years. We are giving a laurel to those who spent hours putting out the fire because without them, the church may have had more devastation. In the days since, billionaires from companies like Gucci and Luis Vuitton have already pledged millions of dollars for the restoration of the church.
