Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Rand Paul: the presidential candidate GOP needs

Apr. 5, 2015

According to many news sources, Sen. Rand Paul will be announcing his candidacy for president Tuesday and will then engage in a five-state, five-day announcement tour. Paul, who is the son of former Congressman Dr. Ron Paul, is an ophthalmologist-turned-politician who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and has not been one to shy away from controversy. While many Republicans go with the flow of the Grand Old Party and often do not hesitate to inflate the deficit or ignore major problems, Paul has been one of the few shining stars of the party. He addresses the concerns of middle-class Americans, and his commitment to libertarian conservatism and advancing liberty makes him stand out from the crowd.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Uber, pizza and Iran in this week's Darts & Laurels

Apr. 2, 2015

With this week came April Fools’ Day and a long list of hoaxes — Nutella discontinuing, “The Walking Dead” being canceled, UF President Kent Fuchs and football coach Jim McElwain switching jobs. But some of the events of this week were unfortunately and painfully real, which brings us to this week’s edition of ...

OPINION | COLUMNS

Cutting higher education budget not the answer

Apr. 2, 2015

Over the past decade, higher education has gone through what some might consider a period of austerity. As state revenues declined, public education budgets at every level were put on the chopping block. Public education consumes the most sizable portion of a state’s budget, so it’s not altogether surprising schools had to tighten their belts during the recession. With that in mind, it was flabbergasting to discover the Louisiana Legislature’s budget for next year might cut Louisiana State University’s budget by 82 percent.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A story of survival: Sexual assault is never your fault and other lessons learned

Apr. 2, 2015

On Feb. 22, 2013, I wore a cream dress that I borrowed from my floormate. On Feb. 22, 2013, I went to a beach-side bar in Daytona. On Feb. 22, 2013, I was sexually assaulted.

OPINION | COLUMNS

April Fools’ Day is, while time-honored, antithetical to comedy

Apr. 2, 2015

April Fools’ Day is a time-honored, celebrated tradition of corny jokes, physical pranks and trying to subtly wrap cellophane over your roommate’s toilet bowl. April Fools’ Day is, like many American holidays, an informal celebration of some of our lamest attributes — like our fondness for played-out physical gags or gullibly clicking on obviously fake news stories.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Uber ride-share deal promising, but we have some concerns

Apr. 1, 2015

Prepare yourselves for one hell of a ride-sharing experience: Uber is coming to UF.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Evangelical voters may decide fate of 2016 election

Apr. 1, 2015

In order to win an election, a campaign has to mobilize voters. The best way to mobilize voters is to go after galvanized and organized groups of constituents.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Can FEMA get Gov. Scott to believe in global warming?

Mar. 31, 2015

Recently, Bryan Koon, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, tried to discuss climate change at a Senate budget meeting. However, there was one stipulation he had to follow: He could not use the term “climate change.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Launch of Jay Z's streaming site Tidal deprives fans from innovative music experiences because of cost

Mar. 31, 2015

The music streaming business got another competitor Monday with the launch of Tidal, a high-fidelity music-streaming platform, launched by none other than the talented, collaborative rapper Jay Z.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Diverse media representation is essential yet still somehow lacking

Mar. 31, 2015

Film and television representation for anyone who isn’t straight, white and cisgender has been largely nonexistent until very recently. People of color have been condemned to stereotyped roles, often playing domestic workers or exaggerated caricatures of their cultures. The painful truth is women, people of color and transgender people do not see themselves reflected back in the media they consume.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

‘The Daily Show’ replacement unexpected, but a Noah-brainer

Mar. 30, 2015

It’s been about a month and a half since Jon Stewart announced his retirement from “The Daily Show.” The time between then and now was spent frantically wondering who was going to replace the beloved comedian’s seat at Comedy Central’s World News Headquarters in New York. Fans mourned the end of Stewart’s 16-year tenure as the show’s host, and some offered up their own opinions as to who should succeed the comedian who has become one of the most trusted men in America. Some hoped “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams would replace Stewart, but she dispelled the rumors in a tweet saying she was “extremely under-qualified” for the position. That was Feb. 15; since then, most of us decided to sit tight and try to ignore the inevitable.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Pao case exploits real gender workplace issues

Mar. 30, 2015

Ellen Pao, the woman who accused a powerful venture capital firm of gender discrimination, lost her case last week. Pao claimed that Kleiner Perkins Byers & Caufield refused to promote her — and ultimately fired her — because of her gender.

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 | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: pop stars, duck hunters and FratPACs

Mar. 26, 2015

In the news this week: pop stars, duck hunters and FratPACs — and, no, that’s not a new form of booze. Here’s your weekly Friday

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?