Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Gender is more than just a pronoun

Sep. 11, 2016

What outfit do you want to be buried in when you die? Go on; really think about it. You’ll probably want something nice and flattering. Above all, though, you’ll want something representative of the person you were when you were alive. This might seem easy for some of you. But for someone whose gender identity is nonconforming, this is a heavy question.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Dear returners: own your experiences, and own this year

Sep. 11, 2016

Hi, friends! You may not recognize my name. That’s because I am brand spanking new to the opinions section! Let me introduce myself. I’m Taylor Cavaliere, and I am so excited to be writing to you all as a columnist this semester! I’d also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart: If you’re reading, then my worst fear (that literally not one person will read my column) has not come to fruition.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Kaepernick and radical social justice

Sep. 8, 2016

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested the national anthem before an NFL preseason game Aug. 26, I felt the ensuing outrage was overblown. I agreed with President Obama’s response — it is Kaepernick’s constitutional right to protest what he sees as a problem of racism and police brutality in America. By the same token, it is also the right of those who disagree with him to criticize him for his method of protest. As far as I was concerned, the discussion ended there.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Slow down and love life around you

Sep. 8, 2016

I didn’t have many friends growing up. The few friends I did have were only made because we were stuck together for X number of hours every day from elementary school until high-school graduation. Most of them didn’t stick around too long after the classrooms no longer held us together. I realized shortly after graduation I would be going into college entirely alone in a completely new city, and I was terrified. But now Gainesville feels more like home than my hometown ever did. I feel like I belong here, and I’ve found my niche. I’m able to surround myself with people whom I genuinely care about and who genuinely care about me. What scares me, though, is that this is a town where a solid chunk of its population is constantly in transit, so it’s almost impossible to tell how long these people will be in my life.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How LA police use football for change

Sep. 7, 2016

For the second time last Thursday, San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem before an NFL preseason game. In his own words: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish for me to look the other way.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reflections on 9/11

Sep. 7, 2016

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years. I can still remember sitting in my first-grade classroom as the routine morning announcements played on the television, just as they had every day. Nothing unusual. When the announcements were over, my teacher turned on a local news broadcast. Maybe she had heard what was happening. Maybe it was a coincidence. I don’t remember.

OPINION | COLUMNS

STEM versus humanities: the war that shouldn’t exist

Sep. 7, 2016

On the off chance you’ve been paying attention to my byline, you may have noticed I have two very different majors: English and computer science. I can already tell that your reaction is probably one of two things: complete, utter confusion or a strange, hesitant sense of awe — maybe even some combination of the two. Whatever it is, I get it. Even though people who are good at both artsy things and tech things exist (and are actually far more common than you’d believe), it’s rare that someone decides to take the leap and actually do both things. But trust me, we’re around. I know someone double majoring in mathematics and art and someone else who is a pre-med English major. And I’m sure others like us are out there.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Two sides of the same coin: my thoughts on this election

Sep. 6, 2016

One thing this presidential election has brought out in the general public that I cannot stand is the peculiar habit of people to air their opinions as frequently as CNN mentions Donald Trump. Seriously, if you watch 15 minutes of CNN, you’ll think Trump is Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” It seems to me this behavior, namely the obsessive instinct to break down every single word and deed from both candidates, has trickled down into our everyday conversations. To be honest, I am tired of reading and hearing the banal, repetitive and cliche opinions that have been passed around as frequently as a cute puppy since last year.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Roommates, part one: Is it possible to not fall in love with them?

Sep. 6, 2016

Last year I moved into an apartment with three of my close friends: Jessica, Lizzy and Mara (all pseudonyms). I fell in love with Mara at the beginning of the Spring of my sophomore year.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How to master beauty and dominate your interactions

Sep. 6, 2016

Haven’t we all fallen in love? But what is love? Why do we get physically attracted to someone? Why do we consider someone pretty? What should we consider to be absolute beauty? You may find this surprising, but everything related to love and attraction is rooted in biology.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A methodical look at the nautical: SpongeBob

Sep. 5, 2016

Let’s jump right into things, shall we? I’m just kidding. I never do that — jump into things, that is. I always ramble for the first few hundred words so I can release all my pent-up charm and wit. I just watched “Back to the Future” this weekend for the first time in a while.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Our fragile America needs repair, truth

Sep. 5, 2016

The human being is a fragile specimen, subject to the prying hands of time. Our bodies endure much wear and tear: weather, injuries, inopportune falls. Bruises lay over the fine canvas of our skin, fading one day and returning the next. In enough time, should you allow such bruises to fester, they consume your existence.

OPINION | COLUMNS

For collegiate Floridians, hurricane parties are dangerous yet necessary

Sep. 5, 2016

To this day, I’m still amazed by the colorful range of responses that an approaching hurricane will bring forth from Floridians. Non-native residents frantically plan for the looming apocalypse by stocking up on nonperishables, flashlights and bottled water. Concerned parents beg their college kids to stay indoors, avoid power lines and charge their cellphones.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Colombia could be a case of peace in our time

Sep. 1, 2016

Lately, Latin America has seen a lot of drama — the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the Mexican president’s Twitter duel with Donal Trump. But thankfully, there’s some good news, too.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Can men cheering from the sidelines really be considered feminists?

Sep. 1, 2016

A week ago, it hadn’t occurred to me it would be a disadvantage for men to support the feminist agenda, but when I started to thinking about it, I couldn’t get over it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The right to sit during the national anthem doesn't mean you should

Aug. 31, 2016

America is experiencing racial tension. It’s no secret.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Dear engineers: Don’t fall for the Elon Musk facade, try something new

Aug. 31, 2016

How does one become Tony Stark?

OPINION | COLUMNS

The letdown of next time: not dwelling on the past

Aug. 31, 2016

When I was very young, my father’s family (and by that I mean my immediate family, my grandparents, my aunt’s family and my father’s uncles’ families — a good chunk of my paternal side) would spend a few weeks in Montenegro, in the house where my grandfather and his brothers grew up. The house was built on a hill, and the lower level no longer belonged to our family. The other two levels and the guest house were divided among my grandfather and his two brothers.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How to deal with stress: mastering your emotions

Aug. 30, 2016

Your brain. Your ideas. Your emotions.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How we are becoming ‘drunken peasants’ with extreme behaviors

Aug. 30, 2016

As a college student, I have to say, one of the most intriguing behaviors I have noticed among my comrades is their rather libertarian philosophy. By libertarian, I mean specifically the social ethos that preaches, “If it feels good, do it.” I am curious: Where did this philosophy come from? I think past generations bullied people who lived by the creed we hold dear; in fact, they created a name for them: hippies. And what were the hippies but a group of cultural rebels, openly revolting against the conservative Christian traditions and norms of their parents with a jovial hedonism? It seems, then, our most cherished philosophy blossomed from the seeds of rebellion. What can account for this pattern?