Opinion

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

How I have come to terms with both church and state

By Chasity Maynard | Mar. 28, 2019

I find myself fidgeting with this gold cross necklace my grandmother gave me when I’m thinking or nervous. It’s relaxing. Usually, religion provides me with a comforting sense of safety and guidance. Oftentimes, I find my progressive political views clashing with the church’s stances on controversial topics. I’ve struggled with my identity as a Catholic and a progressive. I’ve recently started to understand that these two aspects of my personality don’t need to confuse me. I can be a devout Christian and a progressive. Let me explain how I have reconciled my beliefs.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Graduation is upon us and so is the senior funk

Mar. 28, 2019

It’s my final semester of college, and it may be yours, too. You’ve most likely been reflecting on your time here in Gainesville, and you may have been left with some bittersweet feelings. The last four years of your life are behind you. They’ve become the past without you even realizing it. If you’re like me, it makes sense that you’re feeling uneasy about the future. It doesn’t matter if you’re graduating with a job, starting graduate school or if you have no idea what your next step is, graduation can still be scary. At some point, you may find yourself experiencing something I like to call the “senior funk.”

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Feminism and what it means in today’s society

Mar. 26, 2019

With only a few days left of Women’s History Month, we thought we’d discuss the topic of feminism and what it means in respect to today’s current social and political climate. Feminism is often a misconstrued word, but its most basic definition is equality for all sexes in any social, political and economic sphere. Feminism’s history is extensive and has seen multiple phases all aimed at achieving different goals; however, in most of its history, it has left out key minority groups. In today’s phase, the fourth phase, this is changing.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Retail therapy isn’t self-care

Mar. 26, 2019

The idea of retail therapy has never appealed to me, but there are times when I’ve found myself buying something in the name of self-care or because I thought I deserved it. Retail therapy does have some standing in terms of being a psychological coping mechanism; however, it’s hard to say how beneficial it actually is to our mental health and to our wallets. Some people use it to help with their anxious or depressive episodes or anything else they may be experiencing. Kit Yarrow, a consumer research psychologist, wrote an article for Psychology Today in which she says she does not consider retail therapy a form of therapy, but she does mention some of its positive effects, which can be seen as psychological rewards. It isn’t something that is going to cure you of your problems, but it can bring gratification for a short time.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The “unfriendly” kid might just be shy

Mar. 26, 2019

I can keep up my side of the conversation until I’m sick of the sound of my voice. As an extrovert, it is easy for me to keep my cool in social situations. Small talk is a skill that has always come naturally to me.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Are “sick-lit” movies romanticizing life-threatening illnesses?

Mar. 26, 2019

“Five Feet Apart” is a movie that follows cystic fibrosis patients Stella (Haley Lu Richardson) and Will’s (Cole Sprouse) relationship, as they must stay six feet apart to keep from catching each other’s bacteria. Walking out of the movie, I wondered how someone with cystic fibrosis would feel after watching “Five Feet Apart.” It also made me think about why sick characters are often used in books and movies targeted at younger audiences.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Our dreams aren’t always our reality

Mar. 26, 2019

I recently met a local attorney who likes to write short stories and poetry in his spare time. I, too, like to write creatively, and I was interested in how he has balanced his career and his writing. I was hoping for some encouragement because I plan on finding a job that will allow me time to write on the side. Instead, however, he sighed and looked at me with tired eyes. He said he has received hundreds of rejections, and he ended by saying that the world owes me nothing. Just because I have a passion or a dream does not mean either will inevitably come true.

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

Kids shouldn't be exposed to violence to keep them safe

Mar. 24, 2019

Most of us grew up with lockdowns. They usually consisted of a teacher flicking off the lights, maybe even blacking out a window with dark paper and pointing the entire class to a corner of the classroom, where we’d sit in agonizing silence until an administrator came to give the “all clear.” The Columbine shooting was when people first really began to talk about school shootings. However, only in recent years were school shootings constantly in the news and talked about in legislation.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Toxic masculinity won't save the U.S.

Mar. 24, 2019

While many of us struggle to watch policymakers continue ignoring the reality and the severity of climate change, we often forget that government offices are not the only spaces where change can take place. It won’t be the politicians who save our planet, it will be individuals who are inspired by the idea of a better future. Unfortunately, while we remain quick to judge the lack of action on the part of our country’s leaders, we fail to recognize the lack of action on our own part.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Undergraduate research will make the job search a little less painful

Mar. 24, 2019

Undergraduate students are constantly on the prowl for what will give them that extra leg up, whether it be for graduate school or to stand out to an employer. If you're in a STEM, Liberal Arts or any kind of major that offers research that you're interested in, it could give you valuable experiences and connections.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Deadly Boeing crash shows the importance of oversight

Mar. 24, 2019

A crash that happened halfway around the world should be a warning sign to passengers everywhere.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

A whole “latte” love. Here's some of the best coffee shops in Gainesville.

Mar. 24, 2019

The first column I ever wrote for The Alligator was about the best libraries on campus. For this column, I would like to expand on my list of “Best of…” But rather than comparing the best on-campus libraries, I’m going to discuss off-campus coffee shops. This is my attempt at a reprise.

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OPINION  |  DARTS LAURELS

Darts and Laurels: March 22, 2019

Mar. 21, 2019

With shaky, highly caffeinated hands, you push through the rotating door of Library West. Students are walking around intent on finding a coveted seat. The days are quickly dwindling down before the weeks of final projects and exams, which means all libraries on campus are at full capacity. Finding a seat on any floor of a UF library is becoming a tricky game of musical chairs, with seats only opening up when class changes. However, you’re determined to find the perfect one, and most likely will stay there for the foreseeable future.

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OPINION  |  LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: How UF can make a big difference for a small country

Mar. 21, 2019

There’s a place in this world where nearly 1 in 4 women report experiencing sexual violence, where nearly 50 percent of its population is without reliable food, where 1,200 people were killed in 2015 and where 414,490 people were displaced from their homes. This place is Burundi. Never heard of it? Exactly.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

How are we supposed to trust the college admissions process?

By Chasity Maynard | Mar. 21, 2019

Applying for college was one of the most difficult academic challenges of my life. It was the compilation of years and years of all-nighters, skipped social events, supportive teachers (and not-so-supportive teachers), my parents’ sacrifices and so much work. I poured all of myself into my college applications because going to college was my most important goal.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The hits and misses of our class councils

Mar. 21, 2019

With our whole “stand up and yodel” day of giving in our collective recent memories, I think it would be fitting to talk about our class councils.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

What the college cheating scandal means for affirmative action

Mar. 21, 2019

It’s no secret that money, a well-known family name and connections can bring advantages when it comes to college. Wealthy and famous families often donate huge amounts of money to the schools they want their children to attend. When families aren’t donating to higher education institutions, they can simply capitalize on their names and connections. Honestly, who could ever deny the kids of an A-list celebrity?

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OPINION  |  EDITORIALS

The truth behind Florida man

Mar. 19, 2019

There’s a special recipe involved in the making of the infamous Florida man stories. They usually involve an alligator, body of water, drugs or nudity and, if we’re really lucky, Taco Bell. The headlines for these stories are eye-catching, to say the least: “Naked Florida man baking cookies on George Foreman grill responsible for fire,” or “Florida man makes beer run with gator in hand.” (All real headlines.)

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

What majoring in the humanities can teach us

Mar. 19, 2019

Any humanities student will tell you that they have been repeatedly asked something along these lines: “What do you plan on doing with your major?” Most of us have our rehearsed responses: “I’m not sure yet!” or “Maybe law school.” But after a while, you wear down and begin to secretly wonder, along with everyone else, what exactly you will do with a classics or philosophy degree. At least, this has been my experience.

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OPINION  |  COLUMNS

The only March Madness bracket I care about is Kanye’s

Mar. 19, 2019

Every year, basketball fans fill out a March Madness bracket in an attempt to predict the future and win an insurmountable amount of money. Around this time of year, I usually look at my sports-obsessed friends who have the basketball knowledge to fill out those cool-looking, debate-starting brackets and think to myself, “Darn, I wish I cared or knew enough about basketball to fill out one of those.” Then, last year came the Kanye bracket; now my bracket-filling cravings are satisfied with so many non-sports related brackets to choose from.