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Saturday, November 23, 2024

Opinion

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Jury duty? More like civic duty

The dreaded day comes for all of us, usually sooner than expected. We spend our whole lives trying to escape it, but, alas, each of us must meet our match at some point. When people open up the mailbox and the white envelope with the big red letters is there, it makes most people roll their eyes in defeat. Your government has summoned you for jury duty.


Tidying guru Marie Kondo helps people tidy up their homes in Netflix's  “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.”
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Marie Kondo can teach us more than just how to fold

If you’re anything like us, your cleaning habits have improved considerably over the past few weeks – and we have Marie Kondo to thank. Kondo is a Japanese best-selling author who recently came out with a show on Netflix called “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” on Jan. 1. It’s quite possibly the most relaxing show since the days of Bob Ross. In each episode, Kondo shows people fundamental skills that allow them to clean up their lives both physically and mentally.


Photo by Alex D'Alessio on Unsplash
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Spring Break is a way to get back on track and to stay on track

This semester has been hectic and stressful, so going home for Break was a good decision for me. I needed a change from the constant responsibilities I have at school. It allowed me to get back on track for the rest of the semester and spend time with family. Here are some ways to maximize relaxation and recharge even after Spring Break is over.


Dillon Basse, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of Flipturn, plays the final note of “August” during Flipturn’s performance Friday night at the High Dive. The concert was sold out, and it was a part of the Changeville festival that took place Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 in downtown Gainesville.
 
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Stadiums are cool, but small concert venues are better

Concerts fall into two categories, generally. You have big concerts, like those of Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift or just musical acts that everybody goes to. Then you have your smaller concerts: the SoundCloud rappers, the indie rock groups from Bandcamp or the up-and-coming DJ you found through Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist. These are the more intimate concerts and are certainly more obscure. I went to one of these concerts about a week ago (shoutout to Car Seat Headrest for a great concert), and trust me when I say the experience was life-changing. All concerts have an intangible quality of connection to the world. Something about live music mixes with our own lives in a way that, if the performance is even half decent, it guarantees goosebumps. Small concerts, however, have a heightened effect on concert-goers.


This image released by Disney-Marvel Studios shows Brie Larson in a scene from "Captain Marvel." (Disney-Marvel Studios via AP)
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Is the Internet becoming immune to its trolls?

Everyone’s a critic. This phrase has never been truer than it is today. The internet is a breeding ground for comments, critiques and unsolicited opinions. On every social media platform or website, comment sections fall at the end of the page.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Return to school ready for work, not burnout

Welcome back to UF, Gators! Hopefully, you had a week to unwind, relax and take your mind off school for a bit, but now it’s back to the routine of assignments, quizzes, exams, essays and schoolwork of all kinds. We have to do it for about eight more weeks until the end of the semester. Some of you might be thinking, “Eight weeks? I’m so close to summer now!” To those people, I admire your optimism. For me and many others, we are thinking, “Eight weeks? How am I going to last that long?” Well, never fear. This column is for you!


Flu Shot
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Anti-vaxxers are spreading fake news. It’s time you heard the truth.

In the early 20th century, parents refused to allow their children to enter swimming pools or partake in typical summer activities. Childhoods were robbed and parents lived in fear of a crippling disease: polio. Little did they know, this disease was preventable. Luckily, Jonas Salk, a researcher and inventor, or better yet, a hero, developed a vaccine in 1955 that prevented the contraction of polio. Millions of children worldwide were spared from a crippling life, thanks to him. Once this vaccine was licensed for use, people worldwide demanded to be vaccinated – a small or nonexistent price to pay for the reward of a long, healthy life.


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OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: March 1, 2019

The end of the week is finally in sight, which means Spring Break is mere hours away. As you’ve dealt with midterms, presentations and essays, you’ve been planning for break and all of the adventures you’re going to have. You finally finished your last exam, and you’re ready to start packing. Visions of blue waves and sugary sand dance through your brain. With a wistful sigh, you grab your suitcase and start thinking about everything you’re going to need for a spring break spent on the shore.


Rapper Cardi B tris autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, during a W Magazine video. 
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

I don’t want ASMR on my feed

I can get on board with a lot of weird stuff. I appreciate a good soap cutting video. I adore beauty gurus. Don’t get me started on my Taylor Swift fandom. I’m pretty trendy and hip with the things “the youngins" like. But, seriously, I cannot get behind ASMR.


A scene from "10 Things I Hate About You."
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Bad boys, bad boys. What will you do when they come for you?

We’ve all heard of them. We’ve all encountered them. Is it the way they smile, or is it their overall presence? Some people love the passion they bring to the relationship, while others enjoy the thrill of a real-life DIY project. Either way, everyone knows or has met a bad boy. It’s all in the name. Bad boys are known for doing bad things. So why is our society obsessed with them?


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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: Birthright Israel is a life changing experience

The best decision I’ve made in my college career was going on a Birthright Israel trip over Winter Break. You may wonder, what exactly is Birthright? Why do I hear about it all the time? Can I go? Birthright is an organization that provides any person of Jewish lineage the opportunity to go on a free trip to Israel over Summer or Winter Break for 10 days. This is an incredible opportunity to travel, discover more about where you came from and form invaluable friendships that will last a lifetime. Every student who is eligible to go on Birthright should go.


This combination photo shows TV personality Khloe Kardashian at the NBCUniversal Network 2017 Upfront in New York on May 15, 2017, left, and Cleveland Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson during an NBA basketball practice in Oakland, Calif., on May 30, 2018. Kardashian and Thompson have a nearly one-year-old daughter named True. (AP Photo)
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The latest Kardashian drama is proof we treat men and women differently

Last week, Jordyn Woods, aka Kylie Jenner’s best friend, was allegedly caught making out with Khloe Kardashian’s boyfriend and baby daddy, Tristan Thompson. The scandal has many people calling Woods out for being a bad friend to both Jenner and Kardashian. If the scandal rings true, she might be up for the "worst best friend award", but it seems to me that in these types of situations, the mistress always gets more bad publicity. A boys-will-be-boys mentality normalizes cheating for men in committed relationships. This puts a lot of the blame on the female “homewrecker,” a derogatory term used to describe a woman as being the cause for breaking up a family. Also, the stereotype of women as caring, family-oriented individuals creates this idea they are worse than their cheating counterpart because they are supposed to be keeping families together. Both parties are to blame, but it seems that the woman gets more misgivings than the one who let the woman in.


SLEEPING BEAUTY -- Charlie Le Grand, an 18-year-old UF biology major, naps at one of the hammocks during the third annual Trunks and Trashcans event on Saturday. Hosted by the UF Hammock club, the event was filled with hammocks, slacklines and Frisbees.
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

You can take naps and be productive

Last week, I did something rare. I took a nap on a weekday. It was a spontaneous choice: unplanned, but needed. A half-hour or so opened itself up in my schedule that day, and I was tired. Naturally, I leaped on the opportunity. I don’t nap often for various reasons — either I have no time for it or I get too excited about being able to rest and, thus, restlessly lie awake for an hour.


Musician R. Kelly leaves his Chicago studio Friday night, Feb. 22, 2019, on his way to surrender to police. R&B star Kelly was taken into custody after arriving Friday night at a Chicago police precinct, hours after authorities announced multiple charges of aggravated sexual abuse involving four victims, including at least three between the ages of 13 and 17. (Victor Hilitski/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Is it possible to separate art from the artist?

Lately, I have been thinking about whether or not it is possible to separate the art from the artist. Of course, this has been on my mind due to the recent arrest of the R&B singer R. Kelly, but I have wondered about this for years now. The obsession over Kodak Black within the Gainesville community is disturbing to me. Sure, he’s a Gator fan, but he also went to prison for sexual assault.


Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Using plastic isn’t cool anymore

If you live in Florida, and you are not constantly acting in the best interest of the environment: Wake up. We are the first ones going under when it all goes bad. The least we can do is be semi-conscious of the small things we can change to better the environment.


FILE - In this Jan. 16, 2019, photo, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., reacts during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. The growing Democratic presidential field is increasingly splitting into two camps: those who want to quickly overhaul economic systems that have existed for decades and those who favor more gradual change. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Feel the Bern? Try lightly toasted.

Like every other young — borderline socialist — liberal college student in the United States, I was thrilled when I saw that Bernie Sanders had entered the 2020 presidential race. The optimist in me is rooting for Sanders to take control of the Oval Office. Unfortunately, the political science student in me understands that this probably won’t happen.


The 91st Academy Awards will air Sunday Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

An $148,000 gift bag is a sign of how we view celebrities

What would you do if someone handed you about $150,000? You could buy yourself a house, maybe even a Tesla, and still have some money to spare. You could choose to pay off all of your student loans. These scenarios are things people spend decades saving money for, but at the Oscars, all 25 nominees for acting and directing will receive a gift “bag” valued at nearly that amount of money, around $148,000.


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