Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Monday, June 08, 2026

Opinion

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Party Pooper

It happened: Bernie Machen won, and Georgia beat us. The Bulldogs are now ranked as the No. 1 party school in the nation, while UF has slipped to seventh place after taking the top spot two years ago.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Advanced degrees important

I respectfully disagree with Jon Roosenraad's column, "UF journalism students deserve teachers with experience in field." Finding a candidate for the position of Executive Producer/Managing Editor 21st Century News Lab, in the College of Journalism and Communications, who has an advanced degree and professional experience is both possible and necessary. There are several professors in our college, and other ‘professional leaning' colleges that have both. Although neither requirement is a guarantee of finding the professor with the perfect fit, having both provides the students and the communications community with the potential for maintaining industry standards while perpetuating growth. Too often industry applicants, with and without advanced degrees, think that all they have to do is go to class and tell war stories. I know, I was one of those hires with both 10 years of industry experience and advanced degrees. I learned quickly that students need more than learning the industry's approach to a problem or situation. When forward thinking is required, as is certainly the case in the journalism communications industry today, then the best candidate is the holder of both professional experience and advanced degrees. Although I am not on the selection committee, hiring someone with the best credentials in both areas is essential. I trust the committee and the dean will make the correct decision.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Media hurt gulf towns the most

About two weeks ago, I took a trip to Cedar Key with my Counseling in Community Settings class and our professor, Dr. West-Olatunji. Cedar Key is a small town located on the Gulf Coast, about 50 miles southwest of Gainesville. Known for its aqua-farming, it is a big name in the clamming industry. The purpose of our trip was to talk to members of the Cedar Key community in order to gain a better understanding of how the oil spill has impacted their lives. As future counselors, we also wanted to learn how our profession could better serve the needs of communities impacted by the oil spill.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

America’s creativity enables greatness

America heralds the banner of innovation because of the country's aptitude for creativity. Individual creativity is an essential part of the American spirit and is embodied in our country's founding documents. A government produces the most from its citizens when it allows each of them to define and pursue their own success. Using a system of limited regulation, a government should be one that allows for society to enhance its prospects by working up freely from below, instead of being determined from the top.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Add cursing to list of bad habits to quit

I was passing through Midtown last Tuesday evening, and I stopped to watch the live music at The Swamp for a song or two. “Cause it’s the first of May, first of May,” he sang, and I was thinking what a nice voice he had when suddenly – “Outdoor f--king starts today. Celebrate spring with a crazy little thing called f--king outside” – my heart started pounding as nervous anger flooded my insides. He dropped the F-bomb in his beautiful melody. As he scanned the audience, his eyes met mine. I felt uncomfortable just witnessing this performance. Maybe I was overreacting, I thought. I decided I’d try to wait it out, hoping the next song would be swear-free and worth staying for. He had a good voice. “I’m going to make this part as vulgar as possible,” he said, and I cringed. I instantly began to change my mind about staying. He said something about “f--king everybody,” and I couldn’t stand listening anymore. I left — no applause from me tonight.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Study Session

Starting in the fall, the Hub will no longer be the official on-campus late-night study center, with those duties being taken over by the Reitz Union, which will remain open until 3 a.m. — along with Taco Bell, Starbucks and possibly Subway.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Legislature defeats Crist in smackdown over oil-drilling ban

Like an episode of “Deadliest Warrior,” Florida saw its own battle between two epic foes Tuesday, this one during a special legislative session called to pass a measure that would put the question of banning oil drilling on the November ballot. In The Florida Legislature vs. Charlie Crist, I have to give this one to the Legislature, and a quick kill it was—about 55 minutes, to be exact.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Make up your own mind about politics

For the last two weeks, I have given advice for incoming UF students to use as they acclimate themselves to university life. This week, however, I write to lend a word of advice to all university students. Whatever grade, alma mater, or status as a student, listen up: Don’t drink from the punch bowl.



Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2026 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.