Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Time management is a leviathan to be worked around, not slain

Sep. 29, 2015

Time-management skills: Some of us got ‘em, some of us don’t. In high school and the preceding years, time-management skills essentially boiled down to doing your menial homework assignments as soon as you got home (unless you had a job, in which case your life was made exponentially harder), and saving the hard studying and projects for the wee hours. If you were of a particularly anxious sort or prone to procrastination, the wee hours could mean as early (or late) as 5 a.m. As far as the weekend went, school was essentially a non-entity, at least until Sunday evening rolled around.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Literary tourism: a rewarding way to learn about life

Sep. 29, 2015

Recently, I read an old article by Laura C. Mallonee in "The Paris Review" titled "Some Realms I Owned: Elizabeth Bishop in Manhattan."

OPINION | COLUMNS

On a scale from one to frat …

Sep. 29, 2015

Last Friday, I observed a sign on the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house that read "ATΩ + ∆∆∆ YOU’RE THE TEN-I-SEE." My first reaction was to scoff and write off the sign as a misplaced joke. But it merits consideration so that we might better understand how Greek life prescribes the interaction between men and women and how our culture inadvertently permits abuse.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: Support 352Arts in Alachua County

Sep. 29, 2015

I have had the pleasure of serving on the Gainesville/Alachua County Cultural Affairs Board since January 2012. I am more excited now than ever for the future of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs in this region. Arts and culture are thriving in our area, but there is so much more we can do if we all share in the effort. The 352ArtsRoadmap is a set of priorities that will help chart the future of arts and culture in Gainesville and Alachua County over the next five to 10 years.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

With SG elections in full swing, voting is more important than ever

Sep. 28, 2015

t is universally agreed that democracy is a cornerstone of American values. By most accounts, it is the raison d’être for our country’s existence. The concepts which fall under democratic ideals, such as the freedom of choice and freedom of speech, have fundamentally shaped this nation’s political culture and social mores.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The ‘John Oliver Effect’ in action

Sep. 28, 2015

Good satire can make you laugh, think or act; the best satire will make you do all three.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Volkswagen recall may prove to be positive

Sep. 28, 2015

It’s a great day when powerful people get caught doing bad things. Not bad as in being fellatio’d in the Oval Office or molesting-their-sister-while-espousing-conservative-family-values bad — more like corporate greed and deliberate-deception-of-the-public bad. Although it should be noted the exposure of hypocrisy does have its salience, there are bigger fish to broil today (not fry, ‘cause we’re trying to watch our figures).

OPINION | COLUMNS

40 years later, eccentric classic ‘Rocky Horror’ still a crowd pleaser

Sep. 28, 2015

This week ushers in the beginning of October, what I believe to be the best 31 days of the calendar year. This opinion isn’t based solely on the imminent approach of Halloween — which is unsurprisingly my favorite holiday — but also on the variety of changes the month seems to bring with it. With October comes the promise of cool(ish) autumn weather, the inability to escape pictures of girls in pumpkin patches and, of course, showings of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Alligator endorsement: Access Party

Sep. 27, 2015

In the past, UF Student Government elections have been marked by how relatively uneventful they were. This changed with Access Party’s victory last Spring and has only been compounded by the emergence of the Impact Party — and the maybe-not-so-coincidental dissolving of the Swamp Party — this semester. The tension in the air has been palpable and a frequent topic of discussion in both the Alligator office and campus at large.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Republican fact checking needs to be more strict

Sep. 27, 2015

C.J. Pearson, a 13-year-old online conservative activist, seems to be overly influenced by Fox News’ hateful rhetoric. It’s not wrong that he has decided to take on political issues. However, I take umbrage with how he has been sensationalized.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Guest Column: We need to fix the music building if UF wants to be a top university

Sep. 27, 2015

This past January, the Alligator published an article about the UF School of Music building and its desperate need for repair and renovations. Though its faculty and students have long called for changes to the building’s structure, many of us remained unaware of the situation inside the building. Most recently, anti-slip coating and handrails were installed in the stairwells. Though the public attention and minor renovations are a step in the right direction, the condition of the building is still very dire. Recently, I have been given tours of the building by a music student and professor.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Professor Q&A: Kafka and the creeping influence of the past coming back

Sep. 27, 2015

Eric Kligerman is an associate professor of German studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels 09/25/2015

Sep. 24, 2015

Although no one currently on the Alligator staff was in college in 2011, we feel confident in assuming that at some point in the year, a joke was made at the expense of "Friday" by Rebecca Black to introduce that week’s edition of Darts & Laurels. Although we would not stoop to such comedic lows, that isn’t going to stop us from using this information as an incredibly strained way to introduce this week’s edition of…

OPINION | COLUMNS

There are no absolutes in sexuality

Sep. 24, 2015

I keep seeing posts or overhearing conversations where someone says, "I’m completely straight, but I find girls so hot and I want to make out with them!" or, "I’m totally not gay, but I want to try giving a blowjob," or "I swear I’m 100 percent homosexual, but man, do I want to have sex with someone of the opposite gender."

OPINION | COLUMNS

IS: Terrorism in the Digital Era is cause for concern

Sep. 24, 2015

The Islamic State group, or IS (ISIS) is a name that has seldom been far from news headlines over past two years. After establishing a religious caliphate in swathes of Syria and Iraq, the radical Islamist group has gained global attention for the violent rule it has imposed in these regions. While the Islamic State group’s physical control may be confined to the territories it has claimed, its sphere of influence extends far beyond. The Islamic State group has successfully used the Internet and social media to spread both fear and its ideals, making it a uniquely digital terrorist organization.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The disposability of American pop culture and Father John Misty as an icon

Sep. 24, 2015

My favorite dumb hobby is taking pop culture way too seriously.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial: Wesleyan, free speech and the state of modern American liberalism

Sep. 23, 2015

This past Tuesday, Wesleyan University’s student newspaper, "The Wesleyan Argus," published an opinion piece titled "Why Black Lives Matter Isn’t What You Think." In it, the author postulates that while the BLM movement has noble intentions, it has had the unfortunate side effect of creating a hostile and violent environment for law enforcement. The piece draws a direct correlation between the recent murders of police officers and the proliferation of BLM’s ideals.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Comedic journalism is informative and here to stay

Sep. 23, 2015

"The Daily Show" will soon be returning with a new host: South African comedian Trevor Noah. While Trevor Noah will have large comedic shoes to fill, there is no doubt with time he will find his own unique style and will evolve alongside the show. Every satirical news show that has begun after "The Daily Show" takes, at the least, a few dozen episodes to find its niche. It even took Jon Stewart a while to build a loyal and devoted audience; in the end, "The Daily Show" and its counterparts have created a way for millennials to keep up with the news while having a (somewhat) good time doing it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

U.S. government needs to combat Islamophobia

Sep. 23, 2015

Last week, the hashtag #IStandWithAhmed started trending around the social media sphere. It began with the story of a 14-year-old dark-skinned boy of Sudanese origins who had a keen interest in inventing. He brought a clock he made — comprised of wires, a display and a pencil case — to his high school in Irving, Texas, to show one of his teachers.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Editorial | Despite absurdity, ‘Pig-gate’ speaks to major concerns

Sep. 22, 2015

In 2004, future presidential candidate and most influential musical artist of the aughts Kanye West rapped, "The people highest up got the lowest self-esteem; The prettiest people do the ugliest things, for the road to riches and diamond rings."