Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

There is a drought of new and original stories in Hollywood movies

Feb. 1, 2018

With award season closing in on us, it’s that time of the year when we look back on all of the entertainment that graced our screens in 2017. Nothing very obvious changed this year in cinema; the box office was still dominated by "Star Wars" and whatever new superhero releases there were, and the Oscar nominations for Best Picture still consisted of films which the majority of people didn’t see.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ignoring black artists will make the Grammy Awards irrelevant

Feb. 1, 2018

In a year where protest and defiance were highlighted in Hollywood, the Grammys, as always, have played it safe. Although the Time’s Up movement has focused more on actresses and directors, sexual harassment and assault has touched the music industry, too. This year, artists have released numerous songs about politics and activism, but this risk-taking was not recognized.

OPINION | COLUMNS

In a world of weak ties, hold on to your core friends

Jan. 30, 2018

In today’s ultra-connected world, a friend is no longer just a friend.

OPINION | COLUMNS

I am skeptical of Facebook’s algorithm changes

Jan. 30, 2018

A couple of weeks ago, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will change their focus and algorithms. According to a Facebook post, Zuckerberg has tasked his employees to care less about “helping you find relevant content,” and more about “helping you have more meaningful social interactions.” Consequently, your news feed will soon show you less global content and more local content, less CNN and Nike and more from your friends and family. Zuckerberg understands this change as an overdue revival of sorts; a return to what Facebook originally purported to do. He wrote in his post, “We built Facebook to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us. That's why we've always put friends and family at the core of the experience.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Judge Aquilina made sure justice was served and victims were heard

Jan. 30, 2018

“Mattel ought to make toys so that little girls can look at you and say, ‘I want to be her,’” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said from behind her bench at Larry Nassar’s sentencing last week. She continued, “Thank you so much for being here and for your strength.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Access to menstrual products needs to be campus-wide

Jan. 28, 2018

Imagine this: It’s about noon, and you’ve been feeling awful all day. No need to worry though — this happens to you every few weeks. You’re in pain, you’re tired and you’re experiencing inexplicable mood swings paired with irritability. You want so badly to curl up in a ball in your bed and lie there for the rest of the day. But you can’t.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Government must facilitate research on marijuana before crafting policies

Jan. 25, 2018

Marijuana wasn’t always prohibited. Due to the 1910 Mexican Revolution, many Mexican refugees migrated to the U.S. With an influx of immigrants of a different culture came the rise of xenophobia along the Mexico-U.S. border. According to Eric Schlosser, author of the article “Reefer Madness,” Texas police officers reported marijuana incited “a lust for blood” in Mexicans who used the drug that gave them “superhuman strength.” To further stir fear, rumors began to spread that Mexicans were giving this “killer weed” to American children.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ways to Overcome Loneliness

Jan. 23, 2018

There is a health crisis in Britain. In response, British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced the creation of a new position in the British government: Minister of Loneliness.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We have the power to redefine age on our own terms

Jan. 23, 2018

On Sunday, actress Nicole Kidman gave a poignant acceptance speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards about the crumbling age barriers of Hollywood. “How wonderful it is that our careers can go beyond 40 years old. . . twenty years ago, we were pretty washed up by this stage in our lives,” the 50-year-old said.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Poor leadership does not equal mental health problems

Jan. 21, 2018

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump underwent a four-hour examination of physical and cognitive health. As of late, some were concerned about Trump’s erratic speech patterns, exhibited narcissism, often poor judgment and rash decision making. He was deemed healthy, passing the cognitive test — the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, widely used to test for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia — with a reportedly perfect score. This test is fairly high in validity but is not used to assess psychiatric disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, anxiety or depression.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The US underestimates the power of nuclear weapons

Jan. 21, 2018

On Jan. 13, Hawaii experienced 38 minutes of fear from a supposed incoming ballistic missile attack when a state employee clicked the wrong item from a drop-down menu. One would think the U.S. government would handle nuclear prevention programs with the same degree of sophistication that makes these weapons possible. Instead, the warning for the inescapable likelihood of thousands of deaths and the beginning of nuclear war was determined by the same interface that students use to save their homework.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Encouraging children to explore art, music and poetry

Jan. 21, 2018

Does anyone else remember those little “karate belts” we tied to the ends of our recorders in music class? Perhaps a tiny white ribbon for a successful rendition of “Hot Cross Buns,” or a bead hung on a black string for the advanced version of “Ode to Joy?”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Serena Williams’ story highlights disparities in American health care system

Jan. 18, 2018

A mother has just given birth to a baby. She recognizes the signs of a blood clot. She tells her doctors and nurses, only for them to brush her concerns aside. When she finally does get the tests and medications she needed, they find she did have a blood clot and could have died if she had not advocated for herself.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Salvaging Gainesville’s local music scene

Jan. 18, 2018

For a town of its size and seemingly small cultural relevance, Gainesville actually has quite the thriving music scene, far outfighting its weight class. Nearly every night, a stroll down University Avenue into the center of town will offer you some sort of live music options from which to choose. For what might appear to be a sleepy college town from afar, Gainesville occupies a unique position in the musical environment — it has a humming live music scene filled with a spectrum of independent artists, but it also has the might of UF to bring in much larger performers every once in a while. There truly is something to satisfy each musical taste, and it is something that sets Gainesville apart from many other towns comparable in stature.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We should learn from Logan Paul’s transgression

Jan. 16, 2018

Whatever Logan Paul’s initial thoughts were when he saw a dead person hanging in Japan’s Aokigahara “suicide forest” and whatever his justifications were for making a dead body the subject of a YouTube video, I doubt they were malodorous.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Let’s continue to fight for our abortion rights on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade

Jan. 16, 2018

Anti-abortion folks never cease to amaze in the tactics they use to prevent access to this entirely lawful procedure. From protesters harassing women and workers at abortion clinics, to state-sponsored fake medical centers that attempt to trick and shame women out of abortions, our access is also obstructed by laws leading to too few abortion clinics in our state – resulting in women traveling long distances and taking off multiple days of work – and abortions themselves costing hundreds of dollars. To make access to abortion a reality for all women, we need free abortion on demand. To make that a reality, women must fight back.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We are trapped in comment culture

Jan. 16, 2018

Why do you comment?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Having high-speed rail in America would be a dream, but right now it’s simply not practical

Jan. 11, 2018

Anybody who’s ever traveled across Europe has likely experienced the marvels of a well connected high-speed rail network. Within a few hours, passengers can traverse entire countries, all the while being able to relax along the way. All major cities have proper and up-to-date infrastructure and stations, and the lines have been constructed in such a way that nearly any town or village either has its own stop or is a relatively short drive away from one.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t be afraid to make a resolution, even if you have failed in the past

Jan. 11, 2018

Happy New Year, dear reader! Welcome back to Gainesville, to school and to your unbridled independence. Did you miss it? Judging by my extensive Twitter research, it would appear that a lot of you did. While I was conducting my all-important social media research, I also came across another common thread. Many people seem to have already crashed and burned in the pursuit of their New Year’s resolutions. This trend is not unique to 2018 — nearly every year I have been a user of social media I have noticed this. People exit a year with big plans and lofty goals for self-improvement. We set goals to accomplish everything from going to the gym to eating healthy, from stopping bad habits to being more positive. And each year, we get upset when we are unable to meet these goals.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t just pick any summer internship

Jan. 11, 2018

Since kindergarten, we have been asked the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Although each of our predictions may have changed over time, we will soon have that answer.