Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

We have power across generations

Oct. 29, 2017

Over the past few days, I have seen multiple articles detailing the lives of middle school students who chose to end their lives by killing themselves. Suicide is always tragic. Suicide should always draw our attention and ignite a desire for action and change. When those who choose to end their lives are not even teenagers yet, it can capture our attention in a particularly intense way.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Speak out against unjust organizations

Oct. 29, 2017

“If you see something, say something.” This slogan can apply to suspicious activity monitored by the Department of Homeland Security, but it should also apply to our everyday interactions.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Keep it local and support Gainesville businesses

Oct. 29, 2017

Last week, I went to a show at High Dive featuring two Florida-native bands: The Hails and Surfer Blood. This was not my first High Dive show, nor will it be my last. Not only is it a blast to hear great live music, but it’s also awesome to give your love and support to local businesses, especially the art and culture hubs around Gainesville.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Can we please stop hanging out in the library for fun?

Oct. 26, 2017

Earlier this week, I was studying. I was in the library, where most people are when they study, and I found a perfect little table in the basement of Marston Science Library. It was nearing hour three of my study venture, and I was making decent progress. I brought snacks to tide me over and filled my water bottle. I had an arsenal of colored pens, my notebook, my hard copy of the textbook at my disposal. Last but not least, I had the most important part of any study session — my ear buds.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sexual assault education at UF falls short when needed the most

Oct. 26, 2017

Jane Doe (Jane Doe is not the actual name of the victim, but is used in place of it to ensure her safety) draws her third cigarette from the box of Marlboro cigarettes on the table between us. The box looks light.

OPINION | COLUMNS

You don’t always need to know your next move

Oct. 26, 2017

This sign I have had ever since I was a child. The sign is a voice which comes to me and always forbids me to do something which I am going to do, but never commands me to do anything.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Why should we pay for people’s abortions?

Oct. 24, 2017

I read an article the other day on several interesting cases that could make their way to the Supreme Court in the coming months. One in particular caught my eye: Garza v. Hargan. This case involves a 17-year-old illegal immigrant, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, who is currently detained in Texas. She arrived in the U.S. pregnant, and has since demanded an abortion.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We all deserve a break sometimes

Oct. 24, 2017

This semester I’ve found myself running. Running, not in the “late for class” kind of way, but more so running through this semester and through these next two months to graduation. Some of you, regardless of whether you’re graduating or not, might also feel this way.

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.