Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Under the fig tree: Not knowing what you want in life is normal

Sep. 28, 2017

I’m going to sound like a very stereotypical college-age young woman (college-age English major specifically) and talk about the scene in Sylvia Plath's “The Bell Jar” where Esther is lying beneath a fig tree. Here, she imagines that each fig represents an imagined future — she sees a famous editor, a poet, a housewife — and she cannot make up her mind as to which fig to pluck, since choosing one means losing the rest, and then they all begin to shrivel up, and it is simply too late.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's time to stop kneeling during the national anthem

Sep. 28, 2017

Baseball may be the American pastime, but it is no secret our football players are the ones who are treated like the real heroes. Seriously, more than 30 million viewers tune in every week to worship by screen and watch their favorite teams play on Sundays.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The 80/20 rule is a fact of life

Sep. 28, 2017

In the late 19th century, economist Vilfredo Pareto demonstrated in his first academic paper that, in his native country of Italy, 20 percent of the population owned about 80 percent of all the land. Pareto then noticed the same pattern of distribution in his garden, where he found that 20 percent of the pods contained 80 percent of the total peas. Named after Vilfredo himself, the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule or the law of the vital few, is one of the most widely seen statistical phenomena in the world, seemingly evident on both the largest of macro levels (entire country wealth distributions) to the smallest of micro levels (amount of peas in a peapod).

OPINION | COLUMNS

If you’re going to take a stand against something, do some research first

Sep. 27, 2017

Kneeling for the national anthem is once again in vogue in America. This weekend, hundreds of NFL players took a knee to protest what they have referred to as the U.S.’s oppressive treatment of minorities after President Donald Trump raised the issue at a rally in Alabama.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Privilege is a blindfold

Sep. 26, 2017

For those victim to it, the grotesque fact of racism is difficult to overstate. In furtive glances, tightened chests and cracked bones, it asserts itself with lethal, overwhelming force.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Convenience friendships don’t cut it; you need quality friends

Sep. 26, 2017

Remember those nights in your dorm common area? All of the usual suspects from the guys’ side and the girls’ side crept out of their crowded rooms, walked down the hall and swiped their fobs. Someone ordered pizza that everyone ate. Something someone wanted to watch was playing softly on the TV. Everyone somehow fit on one couch and five chairs.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Leave your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to join a club if it’s not related to your major

Sep. 26, 2017

This semester, I promised myself I’d get out of my comfort zone for the better. Too often we find ourselves in this Monday through Friday lull where we’ve gotten used to the schedule we’ve set for ourselves, and all we do is blindly follow it. Dear readers, I hope you add some spice into your lives every once in a while, especially if that spice is adding an interesting club to your lineup.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's time to start getting involved in the things you care about

Sep. 24, 2017

As a student at UF, you probably hear the word “involvement” tossed around a lot. Every day we are bombarded with emails, Facebook event invitations and social media posts advertising opportunities for students to get involved.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The airline industry needs some competition

Sep. 21, 2017

I had the opportunity to fly quite a bit this past summer, with a couple trips to New York and Boston, but mostly several trips to San Francisco to visit my girlfriend in Berkeley, California.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The longer I’m in college, the more nocturnal I become, and that's great

Sep. 21, 2017

There once was a time when I would pour my cup of coffee at the crisp hour of 7 a.m. and listen to the birds chirp. You know, the good stuff. Seriously, I had the kind of mornings shown in movies.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Feminism has to be more than a fad

Sep. 20, 2017

Step aside, Nike shorts and Chaco shoes. The must-have fashion trend this fall? Feminism. Well, kind of.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to stop pushing people to go to college, it's not for everyone

Sep. 19, 2017

As I wade through my last semester at UF, it has become evident that a portion of students here weren’t meant to go to college. Does that mean I think they’re not intelligent or competent? Not at all.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Pets are a part of the family, too, please don’t leave them behind

Sep. 17, 2017

It’s been a week since Hurricane Irma did a number on the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Many are still reeling from the damages, stress and anxiety brought on by the storm. More than 6.5 million people were told to evacuate Florida based on the projection of the storm, and a lot of them did. The interstates quickly became clogged with terrified people desperate to get themselves and their loved ones out of the storm’s path.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Trump’s complacency with racism is concerning

Sep. 17, 2017

Another day, another tweet from President Donald Trump. It doesn’t quite come as a surprise to anyone anymore, does it? Our president has desensitized many of us to his cruelty and ignorance by exposing us to his repulsive words on a daily, or sometimes hourly, basis.

OPINION | COLUMNS

What exactly does it mean for UF to be a top-10 university?

Sep. 17, 2017

What makes a university great? Is it the academics? The prestige? The ability to help students move up the socio-economic ladder? And what are we really bragging about when we share a Facebook post about UF being a top-10 public institution?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sorry, but 'American Horror Story: Cult' just isn’t all that scary

Sep. 14, 2017

I have to give Ryan Murphy credit. I didn’t think there could be an “American Horror Story” season worse than the fourth season, “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” but two episodes into “Cult,” I think I have to call it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The preparations we made for Hurricane Irma probably saved our lives

Sep. 14, 2017

As far as hurricanes go, Hurricane Irma was one for the history books. As the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, it steadily grew in power as it meandered its way over warm ocean waters. For more than a week, Irma had the undivided attention of Floridians, as well as the entire country. The week prior, Hurricane Harvey caused billions of dollars worth of destruction in Houston.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Please, let’s stop going out so early

Sep. 13, 2017

Last week, I went to Midtown with wet hair.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Journalism is an underrated, misunderstood and important field of study

Sep. 12, 2017

When I tell people I am a journalism major, I am often met with wary looks. I have had some people make statements about how much money I will make. Others have the completely wrong image of what I want to do.

OPINION | COLUMNS

When it gets tough, Gainesville comes together

Sep. 12, 2017

During the past long weekend, I had a lot of time to reflect on how our community comes together when the possibility of a natural disaster looms over our heads. For one, it touched my heart to see just how close this community has become within the last week or so.