OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Don't be rude in the name of comedy
Feb. 11, 2016"It’s because you’re a woman.”
Opinion | Columns
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Guest column: February updates - elections, online voting task force
Feb. 11, 2016Hello, students!
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Reshaping the college admissions process
Feb. 10, 2016For me, high school was not the environment that movies and television shows painted it as. There were no jocks with letterman jackets sitting in the hallway during class, chatting it up with cheerleaders. Not once did I see a straight-A student mocked or ridiculed for being academically focused. Friday afternoons lacked the aura of youthfulness and adolescent adventure that supposedly surround a rivalry football game that evening. Yes, we were all young, squinting as we desperately tried to see the future ahead of us, but I cannot help but feel that the culturally fabricated atmosphere of high school has been long gone.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Why is the book always better than the movie?
Feb. 10, 2016To quote one of my favorite authors: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that when it comes to quality, the book is better than the movie.”
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Yes, 'aks' is a real, legitimate English verb
Feb. 9, 2016Few pronunciations in English are as controversial as that of the verb ‘aks.’ The top-rated definition for ‘aks’ on Urbandictionary.com puts it bluntly, summarizing all the critiques I’ve heard: “What retards say when they don’t know how to pronounce the word ask,” citing the hypothetical example, “Yo dogg… I gotta aks you a question.”
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Do pastors really need protecting?
Feb. 8, 2016As enticing and accessible as the 2016 presidential election is, there are other issues we Floridians ought to concern ourselves with. I’m speaking in particular of the Pastor Protection Act, which would absolve pastors of any liability to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Book lovers and the Amazon expansion
Feb. 8, 2016As an English major, it goes without saying that books are a huge part of my life. They pile up on any and every flat surface in my apartment, slowly accumulating and overtaking my space. With my meager Ikea bookshelf packed to the brim, I’ve started using bedside tables, coffee tables, dressers and desks in an effort to contain them. I roll my eyes at anyone who dares suggest I buy a Kindle and wring my hands when my mother mentions our family history of hoarding. There are books worn and dog-eared from frequent readings, books I’ve only half-read, books I promise myself I’ll read one day (hello, “Infinite Jest”), and books that, let’s be honest, are just there for aesthetic purposes.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Rubio's policies are not truly conservative
Feb. 8, 2016As the Republican contention for who will win the party’s primary boils down to just nine candidates — only seven being worthy enough for Sunday night’s stage — a favorite and hopeful among Republican voters is Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Particularly popular among Republican youth, Rubio has gained clout in staying relevant to voters despite having to contend with the show-stealing bravado of the party’s two frontrunners, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the braggart billionaire Donald J. Trump, placing third in the Iowa caucus just behind “The Donald” himself.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: CDC recommendations are misguided
Feb. 7, 2016When there is a health crisis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are often looked to as a voice of reason. In light of the movement attempting to link autism to vaccines, the centers heavily emphasized the importance of vaccinations on herd immunity. This past week, they came out with a recommendation that women who are sexually active, but not on birth control, should not drink alcohol because any amount of alcohol could be potentially harmful. The CDC reasoned, “Why take the risk?”
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Make the most of UF - find a mentor
Feb. 7, 2016As I near the end of my undergraduate career, lots of young people — I guess “young-er people” would be more accurate — have come to me asking for advice.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: The illusions we look to uphold as travelers
Feb. 7, 2016"It is lack of imagination that makes us come to imagined places, not just stay at home?”
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: With the dominance of Abrahamic religion, atheism is important too
Feb. 4, 2016A solemn recollection of what dominated the headlines of major tabloids in 2015 and in the last few months reveals a rather unpleasant truth that may have eluded some of us: Humanity has taken a thorough beating.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Failure - it's inevitable, fortunately
Feb. 4, 2016As the first wave of exams arrives just in time to slug every UF student’s grades, time and sleep habits, now seems as good a time as any to mention it may be time to slow down.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Sanders' Iowa performance sends a message
Feb. 4, 2016As of Monday, Iowans wrapped up the first stage of the presidential election — the first bit of the process that isn’t merely grandstanding. These are hard numbers, numbers that matter: numbers representing real human beings who will appoint each party’s candidate.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: The Grammys don't necessarily equal success
Feb. 3, 2016Several weeks ago, a comprehensive list of this year’s Grammy nominations was released. Despite having a nice array of talented artists present, I had to stop scrolling once the words “Taylor” and “Swift” became engrained in my retinas due to sheer overexposure.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: What Iowa means for the road ahead
Feb. 3, 2016At the time of writing, it has been less than 24 hours since the results of the Iowa caucus were released. Although the results proved interesting, Iowa is far from the final arbiter of the primary process.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Guest Column: Sanders - the 'cowardly' candidate?
Feb. 3, 2016Several days ago, a column published in this paper accused those who support Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for the Democratic nomination of being “lazy and cowardly.” Now, being a Sanders supporter — there goes my shot at ever being a public servant — sure, I do not necessarily see myself as brave. I get scared of simple things, like heights, clowns and people with two first names, like Taylor Scott, Jennifer Lawrence or Zachary Lee. But cowardly? I’ll have you know I once had a bowl of nails for breakfast. Without any milk.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Diversity of books is very important
Feb. 2, 2016As a child, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a household in which a strong emphasis was put on reading. I still remember dragging book after book up to my grandmother, pointing imperiously to the title and energetically demanding she read to me.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: In support of the term 'Ebonics'
Feb. 2, 2016It is readily observable that distinct groups of people within any context speak in distinct ways, to varying extents. Different groups use a “standard” national language to communicate within a national context and may use a different language within specific ethnic groups, tribes and families.
OPINION
|
COLUMNS
Column: Clicker points are pointless in our education
Feb. 2, 2016The recent trend of clicker questions in lecture halls has caught on to the point where they are now used in just about every general education course. While the most conventional form at UF is through H-ITT clickers, professors will also use websites such as Learning Catalytics and Top Hat to allow students to answer questions posed in class.
