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Monday, July 14, 2025

Opinion | Columns

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Life is what happens while you’re on your phone

I’m a people watcher. Whether it be at Midtown, Turlington or in class, you can often find me unabashedly staring at people from a stationary viewpoint — usually just watching, but occasionally taking notes. What started as a slightly creepy habit has recently been exacerbated by my independent research class, which requires me to take extensive field notes on basically anything I observe people doing. Sure, I was used to standing in a corner at any given social event and idly watching people interact. However, something about taking notes took it to a sociopathic level I wasn’t particularly comfortable with.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Congressman Yoho embodies the American dream

Last week, I decided to talk to Gainesville’s own Ted Yoho, representative for the third District. As someone who has previously worked on his campaign, I know he has a lot to say and would make for a great interviewee.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

It’s not 'just a costume'

This Halloween, like all Halloweens, the floodgates for offensive costumes will open. In two weeks’ time, lots of people will think it’s OK to make fun of cultures and demonstrate a complete disregard toward the historical and social context of their costume. Darkening your skin isn’t cool; it harkens back to when blackface was used for minstrel shows. Similarly, dressing as a Native American is insensitive to their culture, which was trampled on and remains largely ignored to this day. These costumes parody, rather than honor, other cultures because they act as hollow interpretations that are rooted in assumption, not actual knowledge.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Gun control reform is muddled by spin zones

Last week, presidential candidate and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson made a string of comments on the shooting in Oregon. One of Dr. Carson’s claims was if the Jews in Nazi Germany had been armed, then Hitler’s plans for the Holocaust would have been greatly diminished. This line of inane rhetoric is nothing new, with many in the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun lobby groups citing this ill-thought-out hypothetical for several years.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Let's redefine consent to combat rape culture

Last week, UF Student Government coordinated a series of events in accordance with Sexual Assault Awareness Week. Events held during the week included a panel in which survivors of sexual assault spoke of their experiences and the prevalence of the trend.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Columbus: the prototypical American

The recent commemoration of Columbus Day, rightly rebranded to Indigenous Peoples Day by nine prominent cities in the country, provides an excellent point of reflection as to who Americans are and what exactly America is.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Politics continue to Trump common sense

Somehow, these names don’t fit together: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump. However, many polls measuring the presidential race predict Trump will soon be sitting alongside some of the greatest leaders who built this very country. So, as hundreds of thousands of Americans visit Mount Vernon and Monticello today, I have to ask: Will we be taking our children to visit the Trump Tower?


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Don’t mess with Nicki Minaj

Last week, celebrity profile writer Vanessa Grigoriadis interviewed rap superstar Nicki Minaj for "The New York Times" in an article titled "The Passion of Nicki Minaj." No big deal, right? Wrong.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Equal opportunity still doesn’t exist

Equality of opportunity is often cited to undermine criticisms pertaining to the lack of women or people of color in positions of power and in certain professions. Pretending we live in a post-racial and post-sexist society does not make it so. Gender, race, sexuality and socio-economic status can affect the kind of opportunities a person has. The idea of equality of opportunity in the U.S. is a myth. Although things have certainly improved with time, there is still much that prevents equal opportunity from being a reality.



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