Opinion

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Opinion

Tracing the Origins of Political Correctness

Sep. 12, 2016

What is it about the term “politically correct” that manages to put everyone on high alert? Some blame the term for infringement on their First-Amendment rights, others use it as a justification to inflame Facebook comment threads, but mostly we avoid uttering it altogether to avoid the accompanying controversy. These two simple words have expanded to become intrinsically linked to an abundance of other concepts such as safe spaces and trigger warnings, but even beyond that it has taken on a connotation of triviality and ridicule.

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Opinion

On the use of the word ‘retard’

Sep. 12, 2016

Words are heavy. Every letter of every phrase carries a weight that we as speakers tend to overlook. Diction is an influential tool, made powerful not by the mouths that voice it but rather by the ears that receive it. No matter what, somebody is always listening.

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Opinion

Alligator Archives: In Memory of 9/11

Sep. 11, 2016

The following editorial was originally published September 12, 2001.

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Opinion

Clinton’s nail in the coughin’: candidate health transparency

Sep. 11, 2016

Last week in Darts and Laurels, we here at the Alligator gave a dart to the human respiratory system for causing Hillary Clinton to cough. This is problematic because it set off a series of nothing more than bulls--- arguments that — ignoring actual problems in this country — focused on personally attacking Clinton for her health. Typically, those who simply have nothing to bring to the table perpetuate these types of arguments. Ad-hominem attacks are nothing more than a distraction from a total ignorance of political know-how.

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Opinion

Please stay in your lane and respect pedestrians

Sep. 11, 2016

On your left!

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Opinion

Gender is more than just a pronoun

Sep. 11, 2016

What outfit do you want to be buried in when you die? Go on; really think about it. You’ll probably want something nice and flattering. Above all, though, you’ll want something representative of the person you were when you were alive. This might seem easy for some of you. But for someone whose gender identity is nonconforming, this is a heavy question.

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Opinion

Dear returners: own your experiences, and own this year

Sep. 11, 2016

Hi, friends! You may not recognize my name. That’s because I am brand spanking new to the opinions section! Let me introduce myself. I’m Taylor Cavaliere, and I am so excited to be writing to you all as a columnist this semester! I’d also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart: If you’re reading, then my worst fear (that literally not one person will read my column) has not come to fruition.

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Sports

alligatorSports Picks Column: Week 2

Sep. 8, 2016

SITE: The Swamp (cap. 88,548)

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Sports

Column: Forget the winning streak — UF can’t afford to overlook Kentucky

By Patrick Pinak | Sep. 8, 2016

The last time Kentucky beat Florida in football was 1986.

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Opinion

Darts & Laurels: September 9, 2016

Sep. 8, 2016

Life is strange. The future is unpredictable. You find that scary. You seek answers everywhere, but the more you discover, the less you know. The confusion slowly dissipates, and fear starts to take its place. All hope seems lost. In the darkness, you see a flicker of light. With curiosity ablaze you chase after the glimmer, and as you grow nearer and nearer you stumble upon the Friday edition of the Independent Florida Alligator. In it, you find something that makes everything okay. That something is…

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Opinion

Kaepernick and radical social justice

Sep. 8, 2016

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested the national anthem before an NFL preseason game Aug. 26, I felt the ensuing outrage was overblown. I agreed with President Obama’s response — it is Kaepernick’s constitutional right to protest what he sees as a problem of racism and police brutality in America. By the same token, it is also the right of those who disagree with him to criticize him for his method of protest. As far as I was concerned, the discussion ended there.

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Opinion

Slow down and love life around you

Sep. 8, 2016

I didn’t have many friends growing up. The few friends I did have were only made because we were stuck together for X number of hours every day from elementary school until high-school graduation. Most of them didn’t stick around too long after the classrooms no longer held us together. I realized shortly after graduation I would be going into college entirely alone in a completely new city, and I was terrified. But now Gainesville feels more like home than my hometown ever did. I feel like I belong here, and I’ve found my niche. I’m able to surround myself with people whom I genuinely care about and who genuinely care about me. What scares me, though, is that this is a town where a solid chunk of its population is constantly in transit, so it’s almost impossible to tell how long these people will be in my life.

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Opinion

A message to the University of Kentucky

Sep. 7, 2016

Right now, a university is suing its student newspaper.

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Sports

Column: Breaking down the Aikman-Bayless Fox Sports feud

By Matt Brannon | Sep. 7, 2016

Troy Aikman: Hall of Fame quarterback. NFL color commentator. Probably not gay.

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Opinion

How LA police use football for change

Sep. 7, 2016

For the second time last Thursday, San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem before an NFL preseason game. In his own words: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish for me to look the other way.”

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Opinion

Reflections on 9/11

Sep. 7, 2016

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years. I can still remember sitting in my first-grade classroom as the routine morning announcements played on the television, just as they had every day. Nothing unusual. When the announcements were over, my teacher turned on a local news broadcast. Maybe she had heard what was happening. Maybe it was a coincidence. I don’t remember.

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Opinion

STEM versus humanities: the war that shouldn’t exist

Sep. 7, 2016

On the off chance you’ve been paying attention to my byline, you may have noticed I have two very different majors: English and computer science. I can already tell that your reaction is probably one of two things: complete, utter confusion or a strange, hesitant sense of awe — maybe even some combination of the two. Whatever it is, I get it. Even though people who are good at both artsy things and tech things exist (and are actually far more common than you’d believe), it’s rare that someone decides to take the leap and actually do both things. But trust me, we’re around. I know someone double majoring in mathematics and art and someone else who is a pre-med English major. And I’m sure others like us are out there.

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Opinion

We need to take better care of the sick

Sep. 6, 2016

As I’m sure you can tell from yesterday’s editorial, the talented David Hoffman is taking a break from writing. With that sad news behind us, I feel like I should reintroduce myself. My name is Zachary Lee. I’m very excited to announce that I will be joining the Alligator in a more involved capacity for the remainder of the semester. I’m humbled and honored (typical tacky word choice, but sincere, I assure you) to have you all as my audience.

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Opinion

Two sides of the same coin: my thoughts on this election

Sep. 6, 2016

One thing this presidential election has brought out in the general public that I cannot stand is the peculiar habit of people to air their opinions as frequently as CNN mentions Donald Trump. Seriously, if you watch 15 minutes of CNN, you’ll think Trump is Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” It seems to me this behavior, namely the obsessive instinct to break down every single word and deed from both candidates, has trickled down into our everyday conversations. To be honest, I am tired of reading and hearing the banal, repetitive and cliche opinions that have been passed around as frequently as a cute puppy since last year.

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Opinion

Roommates, part one: Is it possible to not fall in love with them?

Sep. 6, 2016

Last year I moved into an apartment with three of my close friends: Jessica, Lizzy and Mara (all pseudonyms). I fell in love with Mara at the beginning of the Spring of my sophomore year.