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Monday, February 17, 2025

Opinion

OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Paying attention is more important than you think

Simone Weil, the great 20th century thinker and writer, wrote an essay entitled “Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with View to the Love of God,” that upon reading made me uneasy. She argues that the ultimate purpose of being a student is developing the capacity for paying attention.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The downside of online education at UF

The 2019 U.S. News & World Report list of best online programs was released recently, and UF’s online bachelor’s program tied with Penn State University World Campus and the University of Illinois at Chicago for the No. 5 spot.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Gainesville is a home for artists

I’ve been coming to Gainesville since before I can remember. My parents are both UF alumni. They love coming back for football games and to visit their favorite bars and restaurants that are still in Gainesville. However, in all the times I visited, we never strayed far from campus. So, when I arrived the week before my freshman year began, I didn’t even know that Gainesville had anything else to offer.


generic Darts and Laurels
OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: Jan. 18, 2019

It’s the second week of school, and everyone’s first week excitement has quickly diminished. Thoughts of skipping class are quickly creeping into the minds of students and the need for a distraction is becoming apparent. Monday is a holiday, which means our first break of the semester is just around the corner. You decide it’s the perfect chance to escape Gainesville and all the stress of a new semester.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Pills and why they aren’t for all of us

I love coffee as much as the next student. My personal drink of choice is an espresso with soy milk and honey: plain, simple and refreshing. But I don’t drink coffee every morning. When I choose not to drink coffee, I’ll turn to a simple caffeine pill.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s remarks can not be condoned

“When they go low, we go high.” These words, spoken at the 2016 Democratic National Convention by Michelle Obama, were a reminder to her fellow Democrats to act with a manner of class and poise, especially at times when their Republican counterparts fail to do so. It is barely three years later and the party that once vowed to “go high” has stooped to the level of cursing in Congress.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Talk to strangers and learn something new

To us UF students, there is nothing quite like the dread of seeing someone with a clipboard walking toward us. We hate being approached by strangers. There is a certain pain that comes from hearing those fateful words: “Have you registered to vote in Alachua County?” or “Hi, sorry to bother you!” It’s like being in the bathroom and having your stall door flung open. Even being handed a flier in Turlington Plaza is aggravating. To most of us, avoiding Turlington altogether may be the best solution.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Young Hollywood is setting the standard for how to respond to controversy

Hollywood is no stranger to controversy. Celebrities are normal people who are subject to more scrutiny than most of us ever will be, so it’s not surprising they get called out for their behavior pretty frequently. With the rise of the #MeToo movement, along with other social justice and activist movements throughout Hollywood, celebrities are being held to a higher standard when it comes to both their personal and professional lives. Some respond to said controversy with poise, while others… don’t.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Wake up and get that bread, you’ll thank yourself later

Good morning, Gators! If that greeting is even remotely accurate to you, give yourself a pat on the back and keep up that persistence. For the rest of you who, like myself, struggle with getting out of bed and maintaining a routine, I’m here to offer you some words of advice. Become someone who can be productive before a 9:35 a.m. class. You’ll become a part of a class so elite that even AirPod users won’t be able to compare to your power.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Millions of Americans need to change their food habits

An estimated 160 million Americans are either overweight or obese, according to a study published in 2014 by The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. This number accounts for roughly two-thirds of all adults and close to 30 percent of all children in the U.S. To make matters worse, the incidence of obese and overweight Americans has been on a massive upswing in recent years. The nation’s obesity rate is expected to soon approach 40 percent.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

It’s not too late to put yourself back on track this Spring semester

The Spring semester's first week has now passed. By now you’ve all attended your first lectures of the semester or completed your first assignments. If so, hopefully you did well and managed to find a routine that works best for you. If you did, congratulations! But if you didn’t and you’re struggling to get back in the groove of things after break, here are some tips to put you back on track.


Florida and how 2019 is righting wrongs
OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Florida and how 2019 is righting wrongs

Every state and its government have issues that need to be addressed, and Florida is no exception. Florida has made a number of mistakes over its entire 173 years of existence as a part of the U.S., many of them concerning racism.


OPINION  |  COLUMNS

It’s OK to be angry over the government shutdown

The current political atmosphere deserves a prime-time spot on TLC. The government’s drama is reaching a high point this week. Capitol Hill’s heated debate over the border wall reached a peak at the end of 2018 when President Trump dug his heels in and demanded his border wall, to which Democrats expressed their disapproval. Twenty-one days later and the U.S. is entering into the longest government shutdown in its history.



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