Student Government’s system for funding student organizations is less functional than Florida’s unemployment system.
Journalists don’t have a lot of free time. If they date you, they must really like you. I consider myself extra special because I was able to get a journalist to fit me in her abundant agenda filled with interviews, writing, meetings and editing all the time. While I do feel special, there was also a lot I learned by dating Christina Morales for more than two years during her Alligator career.
I remember the first time I entered The Alligator newsroom as a staff writer. I felt small despite the hospitality and limited square footage of the glorified closet.
There used to be an old man who tucked in his aqua button-up shirt into his khaki pants every day. He looped a leather belt, shined his shoes and slicked back the little white hair he had left.
If I truly knew how to make young people care about the lives of others, I suppose I’d be writing a bestselling book instead of a column.
As a student, it can be easy to forget about elections because of everything else going on in your life. With classes, part-time jobs and other extracurricular activities, it’s intimidating to even think about fitting an election into an already chaotic schedule. Luckily, voting is convenient and effortless, thanks to a variety of voting options.
This week, I have eagerly anticipated the Cheryl ’77 podcast episodes by UF’s Alisson Clark and Emily Cardinali. Alisson and Emily are on a mission to discover the author and intended recipient of a love note inscribed in the concrete sidewalk just off University Avenue in the courtyard by Matherly Hall on UF’s campus.
This week, I planted a live oak on the lawn of the Reitz Union near the Field and Fork Pantry. The planting ceremony was with Louise Fresco, the president of Wageningen University, in celebration of the collaboration between our universities and in honor of Wageningen’s centennial anniversary. Wageningen, based in the Netherlands, is the world’s No. 1-ranked university focusing on agriculture.
On Friday, it was revealed Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike ordered by President Trump. Because of this, the U.S. is lurching toward a dangerous situation in Iran.
I really hope someone in SG got a nice camera for Christmas, because it sure seems like they need one.
I have dreaded this exact moment: My acrylic nails tapping against my phone at 3:41 a.m. as I type into the notes app.
Wow, I’m finally leaving the godforsaken basement office that is The Alligator. Despite my cries to never come back at the end of every semester, it is a year and a half later and I’ve finally reached the point where I truly can’t come back. As a Leo sun and Virgo rising, I’m deeply unemotional, so I don’t know how to be sentimental. Instead, I'm just going to spew a bunch of words and stop when I feel like I’ve run out of things to say as a true fire sign with a Gemini moon.
Getting a pet in college is a great idea. Any dog, cat, fish or chicken would make a great companion. We all need some animal affection in college, especially as finals approach. Kitten snuggles or puppy kisses might be exactly what you need at this time of year. Plus, they provide great emotional support. I recommend that every responsible college student have a pet, but think carefully before you add a tail-wagging pal to your family. If you do decide to get a furry, feathered or scaly companion, be conscious of where you are getting them from, and be certain that you are prepared to commit to this creature for the rest of its life.
This is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. Standing at the end of the semester now, there are great obstacles to face over the next few weeks, but there are even more behind us. You may have overcome some of those obstacles successfully and failed to overcome others. And, while I’m confident we’ll all face our upcoming challenges to the best of our ability, it’s possible we might not live up to the expectations we’ve set for ourselves. But falling short of them is not just okay, it’s normal.
Underneath your success, imposter syndrome loves to roam. It transforms your achievements into bundles of doubts. It belittles all those hours of hard work into luck that you don’t deserve.
Last week saw the repetition of what is now a tradition in the U.S.’ consumer culture: Black Friday. We all know what Black Friday looks like: mobs of people in a store rushing for extraordinary deals, people camping outside to get first dibs on a cheap TV or appliance and poor employees enduring all the madness. However, while this chaotic scene may have once had some appeal, time, the evolution of the Internet and our growing awareness of environmental and consumer issues is making Black Friday an irrelevant celebration. It’s time to acknowledge that.
In the first week of November, our president was ordered by a state judge to pay $2 million in damages to nonprofit groups. This came after he admitted to the misuse of funds raised by the Donald J. Trump Foundation to promote his run for the presidency, pay off business debts and purchase a self-portrait for one of his hotels. The award of damages marks the end of a legal battle that’s been taking place since 2016 when New York’s attorney general accused the Trump family of using the foundation for business and campaign purposes. The cash in question was raised at a fundraiser intended for veterans in Iowa, which Trump later acknowledged as a campaign event.
On Friday, Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield hit the big time on Nintendo Switch after eight months of hype. In light of this notable step for the franchise – seeing a main-series game on a console for the first time – I thought it’d be prudent to look back on some of the best games in the series so far.
Mental illnesses are colorblind, but the barriers to treatment aren’t. Previously, I wrote about some of the ways that immigrant communities were disproportionately affected by mental illnesses, which made me interested in our undocumented population in the United States. Roughly 10 million strong, they live in perpetual fear and anxiety, often without any sustainable way of getting professional help. Most conversations thus far have been focused on how to eliminate overt barriers to healthcare, but for this community’s sake, more needs to be said about eliminating the underlying psychosocial barriers.
As a society, we must stop making certain body shapes and sizes trendy. This isn’t a revolutionary or unpopular opinion, but it is something I constantly see and am affected by daily. I am imploring us, as human beings, to stop accepting unhealthy body ideals. Young women are constantly bombarded with images of thin bodies with perky breasts on social media and ad campaigns. These body types are by no means average — or even healthy — yet, women grow up desiring to look like supermodels. We must put an end to the fetishization of certain body types. We shouldn’t only praise one breast size, as this is something no one has control over. Thigh gaps aren’t an indicator of health, and plenty of healthy people don’t have thigh gaps. We should begin to promote healthy bodies, not idealistic bodies. Regardless of body shape, you should celebrate your body.
Solutions by The State News
