opinion - The Independent Florida Alligator

Opinion

Why it's ridiculous to slash funding from the National Endowment for the Arts

Mar. 26, 2017

Let’s think about what the figure 0.00003 percent means. Imagine taking a test with 1,000 questions on it and getting three questions correct. That’s pretty awful, right? It’s bad enough you only got three questions right, but at least you got something. Now imagine you got three questions right, but then you wanted to retake it. You were hoping to get maybe four or five right this time. Nothing too crazy, but a small improvement would be nice. Instead, you get the test back to see you didn’t get any questions right. Out of 1,000, not even one. Think about this, but instead imagine you didn’t take a test at all. Imagine you are a government agency relying on funding, and you only receive 0.00003 percent of the budget. Then imagine your portion is out of your control, but you hoped maybe you could at least keep your tiny, tiny slice of the pie. Instead, you discover you’ve been eliminated completely.

Opinion

The importance of a generation of problem solvers

Mar. 26, 2017

Last Thursday, standing among more than 100 fellow students and poster boards at UF’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, I presented my research project, which aimed to understand and evaluate Common Core — the guidelines that have helped shape our current educational system. Across from me, one student explained her research on autism. Across the room, another expounded on her analysis of French literature. All throughout the vast ballroom we had populated with our projects, images of microscopic cell scans and medical illustrations bumped up against statistical analyses and comparative charts: A metaphorical handshake between the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field and the humanities came to life.

Opinion

Let them play golf

Mar. 26, 2017

We’re all familiar with the infamous Marie Antoinette line, “Let them eat cake,” but for those not familiar with the story, it goes something like this: While lounging on cushions in a lavishly decorated French Rococo parlor room, the then-queen of France was approached by an adviser who exclaimed that the common people of France had no bread to eat. To that, Marie Antoinette replied with, “Let them eat cake!”

Opinion

We need to stop acting like college is the only road to success in life

Mar. 23, 2017

College is great. Where else can individuals pursue knowledge and interests while inhabiting society’s most intellectual environments? How lucky are we as a country to have so many options for higher education, as well as opportunities to make it happen? Many could argue the university is one of society’s greatest achievements, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is for everyone.

Opinion

Focus on sports detrimental to UF competitiveness

Mar. 23, 2017

Ninety-three thousand fans thunder; ESPN cameras litter the sidelines, broadcasting the game to millions more; white, blue and orange Tebow jerseys, Polos and Gator football shirts pepper the crowd like a UF seasoning.

Opinion

Darts & Laurels - March 24, 2017

Mar. 23, 2017

Gainesville does not like to do things halfway, and allergy season is no exception. If you’re one of the lucky few who suffer from seasonal allergies, you are probably familiar with this time of year. If you’re a freshman who did not realize just how potent the pollen levels in Gainesville get, well, you live, you learn, you buy 10 packs of tissues at a time from P.O.D. Market. But hang in there allergy sufferers — only a few more weeks until the air is full of moisture and heat instead of pollen! Meanwhile, tune in to this week’s recap of non-pollen related news with...

Opinion

People in positions of power need to be held to a much higher standard

Mar. 23, 2017

As the great Hannah Montana once said, “Nobody’s perfect.” This lyrical statement rings true to college students across the nation. We use it as a justification for everything from sleeping through our early morning lecture classes to drinking a little too much at the bars. We all screw up sometimes because really, nobody is perfect.

Opinion

Stop trying to turn international attacks into personal ones

Mar. 22, 2017

A gruesome attack happened in London on Wednesday, leaving five dead and dozens more injured. It is a horrible, tragic event that occurred, despite increased security measures throughout Europe in the recent years. There’s a lot to take in. In the past two or three years, Europe has been struck by frequent terror attacks. The strategy behind this one — using a vehicle and then a knife to attack law enforcement officers — is described by the British security service as a “marauding attack,” something they have been preparing for. The British officers were able to stop the attacker, and Scotland Yard is now working on protecting the city as well as investigating the attack as a whole.

UF defensive tackle Taven Bryan before Florida's 32-0 win against North Texas on Sept. 17, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Sports

Column: The occasional absurdity of sports journalism

By Ethan Bauer | Mar. 21, 2017

There’s a lot to like about sports journalism.

Opinion

To the perfectionists: it’s okay to take a break

Mar. 21, 2017

It’s that time of the semester that makes or breaks us. Final projects are piling up, midterm grades are in — final exams around the corner. It’s that lull before the storm; just a few weeks from finals, just a few weeks from the ultimate deadlines, just a few weeks before we can’t drop a class, just a few weeks before we register for classes. We were pulled into a sense of false security over Spring Break, but now it’s time to kick ourselves into action.

Opinion

After World Poetry Day, Alligator Staff Share Stanzas

Mar. 21, 2017

Boots

Opinion

The importance of stories and delving into fantasy, fiction

Mar. 21, 2017

I have become more aware of a family trait whenever I or my brother return home after a month or two of being away: We really enjoy reminiscing. All four of us enjoy reaching into our past experiences for a good story that makes our audience crumble with laughter. We can do this for hours. And it matters little whether the story has been told or retold, as long as it is told with enthusiasm and it entertains. There are times when we become so lost in this activity that we don’t leave the dinner table until an hour or two after we had finished eating.

Opinion

Spend less on walls, more on education

Mar. 20, 2017

The proposed Trump budget is not new news anymore, it’s been out for about a week now. There’s been plenty of debate — backlash, support, a satire column that was accidentally retweeted by White House Officials. Now, it comes as no surprise that we’re not exactly fans of this budget, but we’re going to address a common criticism that those who do support the budget cuts often bring up: How is the government going to get all this money to support all these programs that were cut?

Opinion

‘It was better than the soaps’: the O.J. murder case and its modern parallels

Mar. 20, 2017

The ’90s are alive and well in 2017. From the resurgence of fashion trends we once rocked as children to the ubiquity of the phrase “only ’90s kids remember,” that captivating decade continues to exert an influence on modern culture, whether we realize it or not. Countless beloved ’90s shows have been rebooted to varying degrees of success, and those that remain untouched by modern media can be revisited with the help of streaming services like Netflix.

Opinion

Who do you really judge when judging someone?

Mar. 20, 2017

My topic this week is commonly discussed, and I’m adding no more to the conversation than another anecdote, so I decided I’d give a short course of my piece to save you time if you’re uninterested: Get over yourself, and don’t judge others.

Opinion

Keep PBS funding for the kids

Mar. 19, 2017

If you grew up with the basic cable package while the rest of your kindergarten classmates were watching “SpongeBob SquarePants,” you tuned into shows like “Arthur,” “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” on your local PBS station. This was before the days of Netflix and Amazon Prime, and if your parents didn’t have one of those fancy satellite dishes, then you were limited to just a handful of basic channels, and your days of television included Barney the dinosaur and “Dragon Tales.” If you’re one of those people, we hope you’re smiling fondly. Even if you were fortunate to have Playhouse Disney or Nickelodeon, you’ve probably at least seen some of the old PBS Kids shows.

Opinion

UF's administration needs to support graduate-student parents in need

Mar. 19, 2017

You’re in your late 20s or early 30s. It’s time to get married. It’s time to have children. It’s time to build a better future for yourself and your family while contributing to society.

Opinion

Republican response to Obamacare will cost us

Mar. 19, 2017

It’s no secret the Affordable Care Act — colloquially known as Obamacare — wasn’t perfect. It succeeded in helping those who weren’t insured, because of preexisting conditions or otherwise. There is an individual mandate, which attempts to decrease the costs brought on by emergency room visits, but it didn’t address the ballooning costs of health care or the fact that the U.S. still has one of the highest numbers for health care spending per capita, according to the World Bank.

Opinion

Finally, a Spring Break story worth reading: Smith Meyers deserves ridicule

Mar. 16, 2017

Spring Break just made Smith Meyers something of a minor celebrity. I’d comfortably bet he has better name recognition now than when he won the Student Government election.

Opinion

There’s always an audience; give them something

Mar. 16, 2017

Hey there, Gators. Hey there, Baby Gators. I’m kidding, of course; the Baby Gators can’t read. Was that commentary on our shoddy American education system and its effect on our freshmen, or was that an obvious statement because the toddlers of the Baby Gator nursery most likely can’t read?