Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Taboo against discussing money problems unhealthy

Mar. 30, 2015

Last week, I found myself counting out exactly $2.43 in an embarrassingly obvious way for a small cup of coffee from a local coffee shop. Why? First, because I really wanted that coffee. I’ve come to temporarily accept the fact that I’m addicted to coffee, or at least the crazed sugar-caffeine high that coffee graciously gives me. More importantly, however, I counted out the cents of my bill because I was down to about only $10 to my name, and I didn’t want to waste a single penny.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Change how you FOMO

Mar. 30, 2015

Did you get to see T-Pain and comedian John Mulaney at the Big Orange Fest? Did you also get to see the hilarious yaks, tweets and status updates throughout the shows? Odds are, you weren’t able to keep up with it all, and you may have been suffering from FOMO because of it. FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is the feeling of anxiety people get when they worry about an exciting event that might be happening elsewhere. It’s a cocktail of emotions that includes regret, helplessness and guilt that can be triggered by social media. Something as simple as seeing a Facebook status, Snapchat story, Instagram post or a tweet can cause FOMO, leading someone to think that they’re missing out on a great party, wedding, football game or conversation. Similarly, not seeing a friend’s status, story, post or tweet can cause FOMO because it leads to uncertainty about what events could be taking place off social media. FOMO is more pervasive than ever, but with a tweak in the way we think, it’s completely preventable.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ethnic casting helps, not hurts entertainment

Mar. 29, 2015

Netflix, Hulu and similar streaming services are the ways many people watch television in this day and age. “House of Cards,” a Netflix exclusive, is the first-ever online-only television show to be nominated for major awards at the Emmys. “Orange is the New Black,” a show that is also a Netflix exclusive, has been similarly successful with fans and critics. Hulu has recently been increasing its emphasis on original programming as well.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sexism in the workplace still exists

Mar. 29, 2015

Sexism isn’t dead.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republicans wimp out with the House budget for the sake of political games

Mar. 29, 2015

Late last semester, I wrote a column for this paper titled “After sweeping the midterm elections, Republicans must prove themselves.” I am sad to report they have not lived up to their promises. Republicans now have control over both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and they have the ability to start passing legislation to heal America’s wounds that have only been getting worse over the past decade.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Smoking cigarettes is much harder than it looks

Mar. 26, 2015

I picked up my first cigarette between my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. Despite the fact my two best friends had already been smoking for a solid year at that point, I’d always hesitated. After all, it’d been drilled into my head pretty thoroughly that cigarettes provide zero benefits. They’re addictive. They’re expensive. They don’t provide the intoxicating effects of alcohol or other popular drugs of choice. And, of course, they exponentially increase one’s chances of contracting cancer. My first cigarette was a spur-of-the-moment “Why not?” decision, not one built on excitement or anticipation. I threw up immediately after finishing it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Menstruation isn’t gross or embarrassing — period

Mar. 26, 2015

It’s unsettling to wake up to a red Rorschach test on your sheets. Why am I covered in blood? Who did I stab last night? Why do I want to cry and eat macaroni and cheese?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ted Cruz’s campaign will sharpen up the GOP

Mar. 25, 2015

On Monday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for president of the U.S. With the simple tweet “I’m running for President and I hope to earn your support!” the 2016 election season began. The checks will be written. There will be stump speeches. Babies will be kissed. Ronald Reagan will be invoked. Flag pins will be worn.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A woman’s place is on the money — literally

Mar. 24, 2015

If you were to open your wallet right now and pull out a genuine U.S. bill printed within the last century, there is a 100 percent chance there will be a man’s portrait on it. To put this a different way: There is a 100 percent chance that there will not be a woman on it. The last time a woman’s portrait was printed on U.S. paper currency was in the late 1800s, when first lady Martha Washington, President George Washington’s wife, was on the 1886 and 1891 $1 silver certificate. It isn’t just paper currency where women have not been recognized, however. Only three women have been on U.S. coins: Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea on $1 coins and Helen Keller on the back of the 2003 Alabama quarter. There has always been a need to recognize more accomplished women, and now it might actually be addressed.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Intentions behind #RaceTogether misguided

Mar. 24, 2015

In the span of one short week, Starbucks rolled out and ended a campaign called “Race Together,” with a hashtag and sticker set to match. Starbucks allowed its partners to write “Race Together” on customers’ cups, hoping to generate dialogue. By the way, “partner” is just what Starbucks calls its employees as a gesture of goodwill and to show that employees are valued.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Talking about death is an important part of life

Mar. 23, 2015

If there’s one thing Americans don’t like talking about, it’s death.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Race: What matters is identity, not categorization at birth

Mar. 23, 2015

Ariana Miyamoto was born May 12, 1994, in Sasebo, Japan. She is a Japanese citizen. She speaks Japanese fluently. She spent her childhood years in Japan. She identifies as Japanese. Miyamoto’s beauty, talent and strong sense of patriotism enabled her to win the 2015 Miss Japan Pageant. With this victory, Miyamoto will represent Japan in the Miss Universe Pageant. Despite her qualifications and talent, Miyamoto has faced criticism, and people have questioned her ability to represent Japan.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Public-humiliation trends a setback for modern society

Mar. 23, 2015

The sixth annual TEDxUF conference was held Saturday, and it was a chance to see the awe of TED Talks come to life right here on our own campus. Unfortunately, I did not manage to land a ticket. But, inspired by the availability of an event on campus so similar to the innovative presentations I used to watch every week, I went searching for some good TED Talks to watch.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ted Cruz’s candidacy announcement signals start of 2016 presidential race

Mar. 22, 2015

Fun fact: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, fiery lawmaker and the person who bears the closest living resemblance to the guy from “American Dad,” was born in Canada.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Democrats voting no on Trafficking Act is a shameful, political charade

Mar. 22, 2015

There comes a time in American history when a bill is introduced into Congress that has real bipartisan support and has such common-sense appeal that it would be idiotic for anyone to block it. To want to play politics with a bill of this nature would be asinine and would prove one’s ineptitude. Yet, this “well, duh, we are going to vote yes on it” bill is being obstructed by Senate Democrats, and no end is in sight for them to realize the senselessness of their stance against something that, I’m sure, 99.99 percent of the population supports.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Consent is not sexy, but it doesn’t need to be — it’s necessary

Mar. 19, 2015

I invited someone over to my place a few weeks ago. I texted them early in the day to meet up later in the night, but by the time we were supposed to meet up, I wasn’t feeling it. I was tired, but I felt bad for backing out — I was the one who asked them to hook up and knew they would be disappointed. So, I kept my commitment and we met up.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The world eagerly waits for Vladimir Putin to spit that fire

Mar. 19, 2015

A specter is haunting Russia — the specter of gangsta rap. Over the course of his 16-year reign, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly affirmed his status as a disciple of hip-hop’s more aggressive permutation. This could be seen most recently from March 5 until this past Monday, when Putin was nowhere to be seen, spurring both media outlets and the world audience to work themselves into a tizzy over where he may have gone and why.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Fearmongering hinders problem-solving

Mar. 19, 2015

We all reach a point when we are so stressed we think our world is spiraling out of control. It’s a terrifying feeling that is something akin to skydiving and not having your parachute open. Fear and anxiety can ruin a day, week, month, year or even a lifetime. More often than not, we pull through and move forward. However, what happens when the anxiety is affecting sizable portions of the world?

OPINION | COLUMNS

What if Vladimir Putin had really died?

Mar. 18, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin hadn’t been seen in public between March 5 and March 15, and it made everyone a little worried. In a world constantly connected by social media and more traditional forms of news, world leaders — including our own President Barack Obama — have become more available to their subjects, at least in terms of their appearance in the public and technological sphere. In this reality, the disappearance of a constantly sought-after public figure becomes even more concerning.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Kylie Jenner’s relationship is a bad example for young girls

Mar. 17, 2015

When it comes to relationships, I usually refrain from passing judgment of any kind. My mindset is: Why judge someone if they are genuinely happy? It’s not up to me to decide if a relationship is right or wrong with regard to age, race or gender. I figure, if two people are happy, let them be happy. But my usually solid stance quivered when a relationship between two celebrities was confirmed last week.