Opinion | Columns

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The curly hair revolution is here

Apr. 23, 2019

All my childhood, I wanted pinstraight hair. The hair that grows out of my head is the exact opposite, curly like the corkscrew you use to open a bottle of wine. It’s hard for me to remember one classmate growing up who had curly hair. There was no one to share the trials and tribulations of having a hair type that requires half a bottle of conditioner. In high school, I abused my curls via over-shampooing, over-brushing and tugging on them to calm them down. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized my hair wasn’t the problem, but my brain — all thanks to the beauty and supportive nature of the curly hair community.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Notre Dame fire brings both destruction and recognition to an international icon

Apr. 21, 2019

One week ago today, the world was rocked by the news that a symbol, a monument to creativity and a cathedral were all burning: Notre Dame Cathedral was on fire.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Eating disorders can affect anyone, not just young women.

Apr. 21, 2019

When people think of eating disorders, they often imagine a stick-thin woman comparing herself to models or Barbie dolls. We often fail to realize people of all body types struggle with eating disorders, including men. Parents worry about their daughters starving themselves but don’t think to check on their sons’ eating habits, despite the fact that one out of three people afflicted with an eating disorder is a man.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

A few last thoughts and a final goodbye

Apr. 21, 2019

Now that this day is here, the day of my last Alligator column, it may be appropriate for me to reflect on what I have been trying to do here for the past couple years.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

A goodbye: Catch you all later, Alligators

Apr. 21, 2019

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The US healthcare system shouldn’t discriminate against transgender people

By Chasity Maynard | Apr. 18, 2019

Many transgender people nationwide battle hatred, ostracization and discrimination in their interactions with random people and even with their friends and families. Hate is a nearly unavoidable part of life for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S. today. Unfortunately, achieving tolerance and acceptance is a process that takes time and education.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

SG banquet: Mac and cheese, prayer and cowboys

Apr. 18, 2019

Well, I made it into the Student Government banquet this year, and it was a rather interesting event. For starters, they dropped around $20,000 on a banquet and ended up drinking out of disposable plastic cups. They are humble people, aren’t they?

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Forget Hallmark holidays. Introducing: Instagram holidays

Apr. 16, 2019

National Girlfriend Day. National Boyfriend Day. National Ex-Spouse Day. The list goes on and on. It seems to me that in recent times these “holidays” have grown in popularity thanks to the online societies unasked for and organic decision to use them as a reason to post. These are days when your feed is full of people posting about their significant others, whom they love and appreciate, but it has become an excuse to post a picture that you have had saved in your camera roll.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Don’t feel guilty about how you celebrate the holidays this weekend

Apr. 16, 2019

This upcoming weekend is often a time for religious celebrations or even just a time to spend with our families. People all over the world will come together with their loved ones to observe Easter and Passover.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Do more responsibilities make us adults, or are we still figuring things out?

Apr. 16, 2019

am not a history buff, but I imagine that in the past it was easy, or at least easier than today, to discern when a child became an adult. There were rituals, or rites of passage, that set clear limits. Plus, a child had to pass through those rituals much sooner in life than we do. My fiancee’s grandmother, for instance, was married at 18 years old and was a mother at 20. Marriage has often been considered a marker of adulthood. She and many others from her generation had, from our perspective, clipped childhoods and prolonged adulthoods.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

‘Fake’ is in the eye of the beholder.

Apr. 16, 2019

Earlier this year, I wrote a column about how I owned a pair of fake AirPods. Well, I would like to write I have gotten a second pair that is much closer to the actual product. A trip online to an Asian wholesale website, a few extra dollars for express shipping and six days of waiting brought another pair of fake AirPods to my dorm. They came in a box with the same minimalist Apple style, a lightning cable that works for my phone and even some stamps. My first pair of imposters cost me $2 and were honestly a hassle. These fakes, however, have changed the game for me.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

To Meme or Not To Meme?

Apr. 14, 2019

It is time we talk about memes and meme culture. I love a good meme, and I assume you do as well, or else you wouldn’t be wasting your time reading a column about memes. Internet memes have become a prevalent part of a Millennial and Generation Z’s daily life. You could even say they have become a sort of coping mechanism. Memes represent the pent-up frustrations and passions of this time in history. Millennials are generally known to be in a worse off economic situation than the generation before, having been handed the failures of our ancestors without sufficient education to craft a solution. Those of us pursuing a college degree have to deal with incredibly high tuition costs and possibly immense student loans. Millennials are characterized as the “anxious generation,” and Generation Z has been reported as naming depression and anxiety as the biggest problems facing their peers, according to The Economist. The only way out of the unearned strife that has defined the short run-time of the third millennia is a good meme. But when should we create or share a meme? When should we not? It must be noted one cannot always meme, but then again there are times when a meme is the most essential service one can provide. For guidance, we look to Shakespeare’s most famed work, “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” or Hamlet, for short.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Return-free filing offers a solution to Tax Day woes

Apr. 14, 2019

The dreaded day is upon us: April 15. Tax Day. Whether you did your taxes early or waited until the last minute, and whether you did them yourself or had help, you’ve probably thought at some point, “There has to be an easier way to do this.” I’m pleased to say there is. If you weren’t aware there is an easier system, you can blame TurboTax and H&R Block.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

‘I don’t shine if you don’t shine’

Apr. 14, 2019

Since 2014, co-hosts Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman have used their podcast, “Call Your Girlfriend,” as a platform to discuss pressing social, cultural and political issues. In particular, Sow and Friedman highlight women who are agents, creators and those who initiate change. In doing so, they ensure “Call Your Girlfriend” gives a voice to women.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

How helping our own community can create a better Gainesville in the future

Apr. 14, 2019

UF’s Black Student Union has taken it upon itself to ensure local high school students have the funds necessary to pursue a college degree. UF’s Leadership Development Institute, a program within BSU, recently created a scholarship called the Rich in Color Scholarship to promote higher education for local high school students who otherwise may be unable to afford it.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

A look into Student Government’s $20,000 banquet

Apr. 11, 2019

Do you ever have too much money laying around that you don’t want to spend on initiatives benefiting the student body? Student Government does and it just so happens to be time for our annual banquet.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Luxury and affordability don’t go hand in hand in Gainesville

Apr. 11, 2019

Recently Gainesville has become attractive to real estate developers, as reported by The Alligator in “Living in Gainesville: Students choose between luxury and affordability.” I’m from Orlando, so when I arrived in Gainesville, one thing I noticed was that Gainesville was a bit underdeveloped. This causes a less diverse real estate market, with fewer options to choose from. As housing developers continue to invest in building luxury-style apartments, what’s going to happen to all the students who can’t afford the now-average $860 a month for an apartment? How are older apartments going to keep up and remain marketable?

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Food insecurity is a battle in Gainesville

By Chasity Maynard | Apr. 11, 2019

There is an enormous number of Gainesville citizens struggling with food insecurity, The Alligator reported. Food insecurity is one of those issues many people hear about in passing or read about occasionally, but it never seems to receive the attention it deserves. Food insecurity is a devastating issue in our community and it deserves more attention. The people who help combat food insecurity deserve more praise and support.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

How is it possible for people to relate to superheroes?

Apr. 11, 2019

When the latest Marvel movie, “Captain Marvel,” was released, there was a good amount of articles that said something like this: “What a great, strong female lead for girls to see on the big screen.” This struck me as odd since Captain Marvel is a superhuman who can fly, dwell in outer space and shoot energy blasts out of her hands. I find this to be a strange role model for anyone, let alone girls searching for a female heroine in their lives. The character seems more super than human, after all.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

I hate that I love the Woah Challenge

Apr. 9, 2019

If you have opened up Snapchat lately, you might have seen a few videos of people setting up their phone cameras, moving away from the screen and doing a quick dance move with their hands. This is called the Woah Challenge, and it has been spreading like wildfire.