Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Cuffing season is not for everyone, especially me

Oct. 24, 2017

It’s like clockwork. Every year around this time, the pumpkin spice lattes come out, Hallmark movies start to play on television and the temperature in this majestic city drops into the high-sixties. And just as I start to put on my light jacket to protect me from the less-than-sweltering temperatures, my phone starts vibrating uncontrollably. I roll my eyes as I see text after text from guy after guy professing their love for me. They all want to be exclusive. Don’t get me wrong — it’s flattering. But more so, it’s exhausting.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to keep a close eye on the EPA under President Donald Trump

Oct. 22, 2017

Here’s a quick hypothetical for you. You’ve been tasked with appointing the new leader of the National Fire Prevention Association (this is not real, so just go with it). Your options range from veteran firefighters to expert industrial engineers to dedicated safety officials and everyone in between. With all of these choices in mind, would you pick an arsonist?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Help each other and make your voices heard

Oct. 22, 2017

Mental health is not merely a personal struggle. It is not something a person should be left to deal with alone. It is not something that can be swept aside. Mental health issues come from within. They stem from the mind — what makes a person who they are. In the past few decades, there have been major strides in mental health advocacy, and the negative stigma associated with mental health struggles have certainly decreased. However, we are far from finished.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Shutting down Spencer’s movement

Oct. 19, 2017

As I write this at nearly 11 p.m. Thursday, it’s been only a few hours since racist Richard Spencer spoke on UF’s campus and failed miserably to divide our community.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The only way to confront the issue of social survival is through intellectuality

Oct. 17, 2017

It seems established in our common knowledge that comedy is tragedy plus time. This applies to what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as what is to come of Richard Spencer’s visit to UF on Thursday. The initial cancellation of Spencer’s event is not an attack on freedom of speech,but actually championing the matter.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Weinstein scandal shows Hollywood is full of it

Oct. 17, 2017

By now, everyone has read about the accusations surrounding Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein. His list of accusers has grown significantly over the last week, as dozens of women have now come out and accused him of sexual assault or rape.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Kindness won’t make Thursday go away, but it won’t hurt either

Oct. 17, 2017

Nobody wants to see their city at the end of a “pray for” hashtag. Nobody wants to see their home in a hurricane’s projected path. (Almost) nobody wants to see their university become a meeting point for a white supremacist and his supporters — but Thursday, UF will see exactly that.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t worry, even if you’re unsure of your happiness

Oct. 15, 2017

We don’t want to be sad. I mean, you can’t really blame us. Why would we want to be sad? Being sad, anxious or upset means being uncomfortable. We fight to avoid discomfort and to find that place where we feel comfortable. We want everything to be just so: nothing out of place, nothing left unaccounted for. We make lists and check them off. We fulfill obligations and settle into a routine that is safe. We pursue happiness. After all, is that not the ultimate goal?

OPINION | COLUMNS

A comprehensive look at my desert island necessities

Oct. 15, 2017

This week, I’m taking a brief breather from the flurry of politics to discuss a different topic near and dear to my heart: my all-time favorite books and movies that I have fondly deemed my “desert island necessities.” In other words, if you stuck me on a deserted island and said, “Hey, Mia, here’s enough food and water to last you a week on your own, but you can only take three books and three movies along,” this is what I would bring. Yeah, I know it’s not realistic, but this is my column, OK?

OPINION | COLUMNS

A column for UF President Kent Fuchs: Make UF great, for once

Oct. 12, 2017

No part of America has been untouched by President Donald Trump’s already disastrous presidency. In less than 10 months, Trump and his supporters have resurrected and instrumentalized racism and xenophobia, undermining the dignity of America and Americans.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A summary can never compare to a real book

Oct. 12, 2017

For almost 20 years, SparkNotes has been providing students with easily understood summaries and analyses of works commonly found in high school and college classrooms. Before that, CliffsNotes was offering student study guides since 1958, serving as a lifesaver for students struggling to wade through and extract some sort of meaning out of their assigned Shakespeare readings. When you’re in 11th grade and you’re having an exam on “The Catcher in the Rye” in your next class, these guides can be invaluable tools in garnering enough knowledge to throw together a slipshod analysis of Holden’s hunting cap, but are they anything more than this?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don’t commit to an animal you can’t keep just to rehome it upon graduation

Oct. 10, 2017

In a few months Facebook groups will be jam-packed with seniors saying they need to rehome their pets. It’s about time we have a discussion about how this is one of the worst things you can do to an animal.

OPINION | COLUMNS

You're not conceited; don’t be afraid to accept compliments and believe them

Oct. 10, 2017

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But I think this mantra needs to be updated to reflect the feelings of our generation. Maybe something like, “If you have anything nice to say, please don’t say it because I won’t know how to react.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Mediocrity is now part of Gator football culture

Oct. 10, 2017

The Florida Gators have accepted mediocrity. Saturday’s 17-to-16 loss against LSU was a wake-up call to some fans, but in reality this has been a long time coming.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to stop saying it’s too soon to talk about gun control

Oct. 8, 2017

I don’t like to start a column this way, but sometimes we do things we don’t like in order to think critically about the world. Imagine a large building in Gainesville burned down. Imagine the fire started by accident — a gas leak or a candle — but the flames raged out of control, and the entire structure came down. In the 24 hours following the fire, we learn that it rapidly escalated as a result of poor building codes, and we probably could have contained the fire if it had not spread so quickly.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to learn to disagree with others effectively

Oct. 8, 2017

We are living in a time of anger. We’re angry at the way the world looks right now. We are angry at each other for making it this way. We all have different opinions about why the world is the way it is, and we have even more opinions about how to fix it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gov. Scott has blame in nursing home tragedy

Oct. 6, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has made every effort to wash his hands of the Sept. 13 South Florida nursing home tragedy, which left 12 residents dead. In my opinion, he shouldn’t absolve himself so quickly.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Patreon is a nod to the past and a jump into the future of expression

Oct. 6, 2017

The Renaissance is known as the “cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history,” according to Wikipedia, with the genesis being in Florence, Italy, in the 14th century. It was a vibrant period of exploding artistic expression and impressive intellectual and philosophical exploration.

OPINION | COLUMNS

'Tolerant' college students aren't as tolerant as they might think

Oct. 3, 2017

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a UF student, it’s that college students are not as tolerant as they claim to be. Are you surprised? I’m not. The hypocrisy of those who claim to be tolerant is stunning, and it was on full display last week after Victoria Fortier wrote a column for the Alligator titled “It’s time to stop kneeling during the national anthem.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

'Fear of missing out' is a fact of life, so let's learn to accept it

Oct. 3, 2017

You know, it’s OK if you don’t actually want to go out,” my friend told me via FaceTime while I begrudgingly highlighted my cheekbones. That night, I didn’t have to study, and I didn’t really have to catch up on sleep. I didn’t have any excuse not to go out, so I felt like I had to. I felt like I should want to. My friend is a recent graduate so I assume she must have forgotten about that inner conflict we all get when we consider going out or staying in. The former always wins. I reminded her why: College is only four years! I don’t have much longer to buy $5 triples! We’re all going to graduate and have to be adults soon!