Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Opinion

Florida Alligator
Sports

Field goal sinks rivalry to new low

Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins trotted onto Florida Field to attempt a 20-yard field goal with the Seminoles down 30-0 at the end of the third quarter and gave the 90,000-plus onlookers a startling wakeup call.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Moms use kids to indoctrinate

I give a nod of agreement to the Wednesday column, “Kids Should Not be Billboards.” I am a student and full-time employee who works at a business on University Avenue. While working, I watch mothers pushing strollers (complete with babies) along our sidewalks, donning these “Islam is of the devil” T-shirts. It disappoints me that people feel more comfortable hiding behind their months-old children to spread a discriminatory message. These mothers are persistent, walking with their babies in cold, rainy weather. They approach passers-by with pamphlets and smiles. But why use the infants? Should we be more inclined to trust their message because they are responsible for a tiny human?


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Christian, liberal values OK

Unlike Ashley Stringfield, I believe that being Christian means believing in all progressive values, including being pro-choice and embracing equal values for all. I think it’s a travesty to say that there is something “inherently wrong” with being Christian and supporting these values.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Old Florida needs to let go of old ways

The Gulf of Mexico may look calm from the porch I’ve perched myself on for the Thanksgiving holiday, but a contentious political storm is slowly brewing over efforts afoot in the Florida Legislature to repeal a ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

UF needs textbook rental program

The typical undergraduate student at UF spends nearly $1,000 every two semesters on textbooks. This is not earth-shattering news if you are a student. It is no surprise that textbooks are expensive, and these prices continue to soar. In fact, the Government Accountability Office estimates that over the past two decades, college textbook prices have grown at twice the rate of inflation. With recent legislation to raise tuition and narrow the scope of Bright Futures in Florida, university students and families have an even greater burden to bear. It’s evident that the last thing students need is exorbitantly priced textbooks. To help lower the cost of textbook prices, I suggest we implement a textbook rental program.


Florida Alligator
Sports

Picks Column: FSU

After last week’s great matchups, I can only hope rivalry week will give us some thrilling games like Florida’s last-second 62-3 victory over FIU, Alabama’s narrow 45-0 escape of Chattanooga or Texas’ 51-20 tough win over Kansas. This week’s slate has games with great history such as Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina and UCLA-USC.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Kids should not be billboards

I find it hard to believe that anyone can fight for the continuation of this fearmongering by the religious extremists going on in this city. They claim it’s “freedom of speech,” but I call it mental terrorism.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Give sincere thanks for Thanksgiving

Look, I know that it’s traditionally that time of year when I should spout off about the things I’m grateful for in my life. I get annoyed when people act like you have to be thankful for every mundane thing just because it’s the fourth Thursday in November.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Darts & Laurels

The mass turkey exodus seems to begin earlier each year. Judging by the surprisingly low volume of angry letters in our inbox Tuesday, it looks like most of our faithfully vengeful readers have already flown the coop. We feel abandoned. Because campus is quiet enough to hear our hearts break at this shortage of students to enrage, we’re happy to present you with a we’ll-have-to-be-twice-as-offensive-to-make-up-for-the-difference edition of...


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Many Christians share liberal values

This is in response to Monday’s article, “UF study shows religious left more active.” I am glad that someone has finally said something. I have been waiting to hear this for a long time. It is true that not all Christians are Republican. Many of the Christian students I know are conservative when it pertains to issues such as abortion and gay marriage but are as interested or more in historically liberal-leaning causes, such as better health care and education for this nation’s poor. One of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shall not kill.” I believe there are other ways to kill that are just as important as the abortion issue, ways that are completely ignored in the Republican arena.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Regulation should be left to states

This is in response to Monday’s editorial about the Environmental Protection Agency and nutrient limits for Florida’s rivers and lakes. In case you didn’t know, FDEP (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection) has passed down this year nutrient limits for nitrogen and phosphorus present in Florida waterways like the St. Johns River.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

People in spotlight face more scrutiny

In response to Nicole Martingano’s letter yesterday, I can only say that I wholeheartedly agree that anyone can be a drunken driver. After all, the first thing you learn in driver’s ed is how the immediate effect of alcohol is not the slight dizziness so many students seem to enjoy, but the lack of judgment. (Drunken texting, anyone?)



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