The first column I ever wrote for The Alligator was about the best libraries on campus. For this column, I would like to expand on my list of “Best of…” But rather than comparing the best on-campus libraries, I’m going to discuss off-campus coffee shops. This is my attempt at a reprise.
Applying for college was one of the most difficult academic challenges of my life. It was the compilation of years and years of all-nighters, skipped social events, supportive teachers (and not-so-supportive teachers), my parents’ sacrifices and so much work. I poured all of myself into my college applications because going to college was my most important goal.
With our whole “stand up and yodel” day of giving in our collective recent memories, I think it would be fitting to talk about our class councils.
It’s no secret that money, a well-known family name and connections can bring advantages when it comes to college. Wealthy and famous families often donate huge amounts of money to the schools they want their children to attend. When families aren’t donating to higher education institutions, they can simply capitalize on their names and connections. Honestly, who could ever deny the kids of an A-list celebrity?
Any humanities student will tell you that they have been repeatedly asked something along these lines: “What do you plan on doing with your major?” Most of us have our rehearsed responses: “I’m not sure yet!” or “Maybe law school.” But after a while, you wear down and begin to secretly wonder, along with everyone else, what exactly you will do with a classics or philosophy degree. At least, this has been my experience.
Every year, basketball fans fill out a March Madness bracket in an attempt to predict the future and win an insurmountable amount of money. Around this time of year, I usually look at my sports-obsessed friends who have the basketball knowledge to fill out those cool-looking, debate-starting brackets and think to myself, “Darn, I wish I cared or knew enough about basketball to fill out one of those.” Then, last year came the Kanye bracket; now my bracket-filling cravings are satisfied with so many non-sports related brackets to choose from.
It is hard for bad news to surprise me nowadays. Headline after headline summarizing tragedies and horrific events are nothing new. When I read about these bad things happening, I usually feel very removed from the situation. I understand their negative effects, and my heart aches for all of the hate in the world. However, something about it does not seem real without seeing it happen firsthand. My life continues, and nothing changes. Gun control laws are not tightened, the country’s faulty socioeconomic system prevails and the depressing articles keep pouring in. I have almost reached the point of utter hopelessness.
Whatever happened to television shows like “Little House on the Prairie” and “That’s So Raven”? Shows that are sweet and often have a happy ending. Nowadays, if someone turns on the television, networks are most likely playing some type of provocative show. For example, the first episode of “Enemy of the State” involved at least four murders. All of this led me to think: Is television becoming too violent and sexual?
College admissions have been rocked by scandal recently. Federal authorities have busted a scheme in which wealthy parents paid a man named William “Rick” Singer to get their children into college. He bribed college coaches to recruit children as star athletes (even if they had never played the sport in question) and bribed SAT or other college entrance exam proctors to give the children an advantage (such as the proctor correcting his or her answers or allowing someone else to take the test in the child’s place). Numerous figures from all sorts of professional fields were involved, including law, real estate developers, executives, etc. Including the ones that grabbed the most attention were actresses Lori Loughlin of “Full House” and Felicity Huffman of “Desperate Housewives.” What Loughlin, Huffman and others did is clearly illegal, and they should face justice for their actions. However, outright bribery and fraud aren’t the only things wrong with college admissions, and many of those problems are perfectly legal.
Last Friday, 50 lives were lost in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a gunman opened fire in two mosques. The perpetrator is understood to be a white nationalist who posted a racist manifesto online prior to the attack and live-streamed the killings on Facebook. He was identified as 28-year-old Brenton Harrison Tarrant from Australia. According to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, he will go to trial in New Zealand where he will face the justice system for the acts of terror he committed.
With Spring Break gone and a terrifyingly challenging week of classes under our belts, we have all settled back in. It’s different this time, though. After a Spring Break without responsibilities or rules, it’s hard to rid ourselves of that mindset. We’ve tasted what life is like for the elite members of society who don’t have to work for things, and returning to the "Gainesville grind" now feels like a painful vacation to a penitentiary. What did we do to deserve this? Students’ breakup with Spring Break is cruel, and now we are left with the sloppy second half of the semester. Is there any hope that it’ll get better?
“We know that freedom has many dimensions. It is the right of the man who tills the land to own the land; the right of the workers to join together to seek better conditions of labor…” These words, spoken by Robert F. Kennedy at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, the same year Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association, echo today, leaving reverberations across the United States. Cesar Chavez, who had been protesting for better living conditions for migrant workers in California, encouraged his fellow Americans to boycott the grape industry that underpaid and abused its workers.
Sixty-one years ago, an Air Force veteran named George Starke Jr. became the first African American student to attend UF when he enrolled in our law school.
I have heard every version of students wishing Spring Break hadn’t ended. From, “I’d love it if the semester ended already,” and “Why did it have to end early?” to even the dramatic “God, I’m dropping out. I swear.”
Things got a little spicy in Senate last Tuesday, and there’s plenty of tea to share.
The dreaded day comes for all of us, usually sooner than expected. We spend our whole lives trying to escape it, but, alas, each of us must meet our match at some point. When people open up the mailbox and the white envelope with the big red letters is there, it makes most people roll their eyes in defeat. Your government has summoned you for jury duty.
Think gender gaps exist only in the workplace? Turn on the symbolic bedroom lights. You’ll see it exists in sex as well. In recent years, feminists have called for the end of the wage gap. Naturally, the next step: lessen the orgasm gap.
This semester has been hectic and stressful, so going home for Break was a good decision for me. I needed a change from the constant responsibilities I have at school. It allowed me to get back on track for the rest of the semester and spend time with family. Here are some ways to maximize relaxation and recharge even after Spring Break is over.
Concerts fall into two categories, generally. You have big concerts, like those of Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift or just musical acts that everybody goes to. Then you have your smaller concerts: the SoundCloud rappers, the indie rock groups from Bandcamp or the up-and-coming DJ you found through Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist. These are the more intimate concerts and are certainly more obscure. I went to one of these concerts about a week ago (shoutout to Car Seat Headrest for a great concert), and trust me when I say the experience was life-changing. All concerts have an intangible quality of connection to the world. Something about live music mixes with our own lives in a way that, if the performance is even half decent, it guarantees goosebumps. Small concerts, however, have a heightened effect on concert-goers.
Welcome back to UF, Gators! Hopefully, you had a week to unwind, relax and take your mind off school for a bit, but now it’s back to the routine of assignments, quizzes, exams, essays and schoolwork of all kinds. We have to do it for about eight more weeks until the end of the semester. Some of you might be thinking, “Eight weeks? I’m so close to summer now!” To those people, I admire your optimism. For me and many others, we are thinking, “Eight weeks? How am I going to last that long?” Well, never fear. This column is for you!
Solutions by The State News
