Opinion | Columns

---

Black history? Our history

Brightline is bringing back passenger rail — but it can’t do it alone

At the start of every break, students crowd into buses, cars and airplanes to make the journey home. South Floridians like myself are well-acquainted with the contours of I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike. This journey can become costly, both in time and money. My five-hour commute to and from Miami costs over $400 annually on gas alone. Multiply that across every student, and the exodus looks glaringly inefficient. 

What is emerging at UF?

All sorts of artificial intelligence and wearable tech is coming to our Gators teams, with $2.5 million plugged into various departments to see through the UF & Sport Collaborative.

Student Government spends unseen thousands. We need transparency now

Are UF students really getting the bang for their buck?

Plastic pollution in Florida is about to become easier

Local governments such as Gainesville have made significant progress towards protecting our environment from pollution like single-use plastics. Bans exist all over Florida, so items like plastic water bottles don’t end up in our springs, rivers and oceans. 

Open container laws do not help our community, they harm it

The new year is not just resolutions and goals, it’s a time for new laws to be enforced. The City of Gainesville is not any different. Starting Jan. 1 the Gainesville “open container” ordinances are in full effect.

Florida Democrats robbed of vote: A wake-up call to rethink incumbent support

Across the country, the primary election cycle is heating up; Iowa and New Hampshire have already chosen their candidates. Soon, Florida will have its turn. On March 19, Floridians will head to the ballot box, casting their votes for their preferred presidential candidate. Well … Florida Republicans will.

A crisis of confidence: UF and the future of democracy

In April 2022, I moderated a meeting of student leaders from across campus to discuss civic education and barriers to student engagement going into the midterm election. Nearly every participant spoke to the same obstacle preventing peer engagement: polarization. 

Book banning means limiting perspective, silencing crucial conversations

My kindergarten teacher was the first to introduce me to the world of books. I have always remembered that first orientation at our tiny public school library, the student ID card that would act as my passport into universes beyond my wildest dreams.

Expanding Bright Futures to make Florida’s future brighter

The Bright Futures program is one of the best programs in Florida. It is something I have been fortunate to receive alongside 23,000 other UF students and about 5% of students at public colleges, like Santa Fe College. 

The view from city hall: Gainesville is on the move

  More than 40 years ago, private investment abandoned East Gainesville. But in 2023, after years of planning, dreaming and negotiating, we said “enough,” and we’re seeing the fruits of collaboration bloom to serve our “out East” neighbors. 

UF's fossil gas plant proposal

The data are clear: when it comes to preventing extreme heat in our lifetimes, the energy supply choices being made today matter. Fortunately, not only can UF supply its own energy sustainably, it already has a roadmap for how to do it.

Falling in love with The Alligator

Two years ago, I was a public relations major who couldn’t actually tell you what public relations was. Today, I plan on devoting the rest of my career to what my family members call a dying industry. 

Everything happens for a reason

Everything happens for a reason, and I know whatever happens next in my life and the lives of the incredible people at this paper, it’s going to be special and I can’t wait to watch it unfold.

With a Flanigan’s cup in hand, I come to you humbled and grateful

My proudest moment at The Alligator was when I got the men’s basketball beat position last Spring. I was already covering UF men’s basketball on an internship, but when the 2023 Spring sports editor Kyle Bumpers called me up, I lit up like I went third overall to the Boston Celtics.

Thank you, I love you

Before I joined The Alligator, I always heard people say that the best thing you get out of working here is the people you meet. This is corny but true, like most things. 

The Alligator made me want to change my major

While I will take my experience with The Alligator with me, I leave you with my bylines and this final piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to nurture that curiosity. You never know where it will lead you. You never know what you will become.

A second chance

A year later, I’m writing this goodbye column after serious deliberation and consternation on whether this was actually the end. There was a real thought to come back for one last ride with an organization that means so much to my life.

Exactly where I’m meant to be

This newsroom made me feel like I was exactly where I needed to be, and I can confidently say I am. I’m saying goodbye to a lot right now — to everything I’ve known for the last three and a half years — and I’m grateful and a little sad. 

Turning pages, closing tabs: A farewell from Volume 115 to Volume 118

I’m addicted to jumping into the fire. From turning my fear into adrenaline. The calls, texts and excessive number of open tabs on my Mac — and, when it's over, the unique reassurance of thinking: I could do this for the rest of my life. Nowhere have I felt this more than at The Alligator.