Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Online professionalism: fallacy or reasonable?

July 1, 2015

Since the social media boom of the 2000s, there has been a common refrain amongst parents, professors and anyone generally over the age of 35: Watch what you post on Facebook. As the distinction between our online personas and our physical activities becomes increasingly blurred, more scrutiny than ever has been placed upon an individual to keep their online profile proper, pristine and free of anything remotely vulgar or suggestive. Conventional wisdom holds that once college students enter the professional world, they’ll be surprised to learn how little that picture of them double fisting PBR tallboys will impress their potential employers.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: MUUUUURICA Edition(Kinda)

July 1, 2015

Welcome back readers! We’re sure you’re settling back into the proper swing of things following our week off. In any event, it’s another week, another paper and another weekly dose of...

OPINION | COLUMNS

Marriage equality a step in the right direction

June 29, 2015

On June 26, the Supreme Court took a massive step forward toward equality, making marriage equality the law of the land.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Busy news week shows good, bad of United States

June 29, 2015

All right, we at the Independent Florida Alligator leave our posts for a week and the United States decides to up and blow its top with national news and national controversies bubbling over like some witch’s brew.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Removing the Confederate flag is only symbolic of bigger issues at hand

June 29, 2015

I agree with the South Carolina governor’s position to take down the Confederate flag, as well as the decisions of Wal-Mart, Sears, eBay, the proposal in Mississippi and other such moves.

OPINION | COLUMNS

An endurance race: Keeping up with the 83rd annual 24 Hours of Le Mans

June 17, 2015

If you read my column last week, you know that I was extremely excited about the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an international endurance race held in France. Whether you follow the series or not, my thoughts on the results and my experience viewing the race cannot be contained.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Rachel Dolezal and the perpetual outrage machine

June 17, 2015

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OPINION | COLUMNS

Rachel Dolezal’s case is not just black and white

June 15, 2015

Last week, the Spokesman-Review questioned whether the president of the NAACP Spokane, Rachel Dolezal, was black.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Jeb Bush joins an overflowing GOP pool

June 15, 2015

Jeb Bush announced his candidacy for presidency Monday. About time, if you ask us.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s Le Mans weekend and the Nissan is back

June 10, 2015

So this weekend is pretty big for me. It’s race season and the mother of them all is here. People ask what type of racing I’m into and sometimes it’s hard to explain because it’s not NASCAR, Formula 1 or Indy racing.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts & Laurels: Of Popes and not Death

June 10, 2015

If there’s one thing most people can agree on regardless of political leanings or religious following, from bleeding heart liberals to diehard conservatives, rigid Catholics to faithless atheists, it’s that the thought of innocent children being harmed or sexually abused by their supposed protectors or mentors is a rage-inducing test of our Stand Your Ground laws.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sports organizations need to be held responsible for punishing their athletes

June 8, 2015

The start of the Women’s World Cup raises new questions about the handling of Hope Solo’s case. Solo is the goalie for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, and she has recently been making the rounds on national media in order to redeem herself after facing domestic violence charges.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

World Cup commences despite shadow of corruption

June 8, 2015

Despite international arrests and corruption charges that rocked the FIFA world last month, the Women’s World Cup commences this week with much ado. Team USA has its work cut out for it as it faced Australia, the No. 10 ranked team in the world, and later competes against Sweden, ranked No. 5.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Caitlyn Jenner detractors need to step up

June 3, 2015

Vanity Fair’s public unveiling of Caitlyn Jenner post-operation Monday ignited a cultural debate that has since remained on the tips of most Americans’ tongues. The attention, coverage and dialogue dedicated to Jenner’s decision to pursue her transition has been extraordinary, especially when one considers how fragmented American society has become in the Internet age.

OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Tales of trans and Gates

June 3, 2015

Good day, Gainesville. We hope you’ve somehow managed to stay dry during Gainesville’s temperamental weather as of late. In any event, it’s another week, another Thursday and another edition of Darts and Laurels.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

95 percent of airport security fails at security

June 1, 2015

Don’t read this editorial if you enjoy the illusion of airport security being effective.

OPINION | COLUMNS

What Happens When: the Tire Pressure Light Comes On

May 29, 2015

Remember that paperback book that never leaves your glove compartment? You know, the owner’s manual? You can learn a lot by cracking it open every once in a while.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Youth need to care about American politics

May 27, 2015

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OPINION | DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Tales of football and gun safety

May 27, 2015

Let’s start with what’s been buzzing in the news lately. Several FIFA officials and other affiliates were recently indicted on charges of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and general corruption.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Minorities not meant to be the butt of the joke

May 25, 2015

Many comedies thrive off pushing the boundaries into offensive content to get attention. “Pitch Perfect 2,” the sequel to the original “Pitch Perfect,” tells the story of an all-female a cappella group, marketing itself as a boundary-pushing, feminist movie. However, it still relies on unnecessary and out-of-place stereotypical jokes. The one Guatemalan character, Flo, functions as a first-world-problems joke in order to put the girls’ problems into perspective. She doesn’t really have her own story. Even though this may seem like a harmless joke at first, when we don’t know anything else about this character, and she serves no other function in the movie, she becomes a token minority.