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Tuesday, March 24, 2026

Opinion

Opinion

American health care compared to the rest of the world

In the U.S., health care can be quite expensive. The total amount spent on health care last year was $3.65 trillion. U.S. health care expenditures for 2018 were nearly 17 percent of the gross domestic product. This is almost twice the average cost of other countries’ health care within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Why is health insurance so expensive in our country, and how do our costs compare to health care costs around the world?


Marchers gather for the Climate Strike in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019. (Amber Bracken/The Canadian Press via AP)
Opinion

You should still care about the environment

On Sept. 20, a youth climate strike of unprecedented proportions stood at the forefront of the world stage. Now, two weeks later, that energy has died down to some degree in Gainesville’s corner of the world. This is a shame, because it’s our generation's responsibility to enact the change. The private sector still needs to be held accountable, the government still needs to be pressured and public sentiment still needs to be changed: and here lies the purpose of the Climate Reality Project.


phone
Opinion

Likes are more important than you think

We all mourned the death of Vine. At its peak, the social network reached 40 million registered users in 2013. When it died in early 2017, the world was in shock. How could such a popular site end so quickly? The answer is actually quite simple and ruins most of the good things in our lives: corporate greed.


Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash
Opinion

It’s alright to feel lonely on campus

How is it possible to feel alone in a crowd? Among 50,000 other students, I thought I’d arrive on campus and surely find my place shortly thereafter. How could I not with such a massive pool of students and clubs? I had seen cliques form as early as Preview. A few months in, and it still hadn’t happened to me.


Sports

Picks Column: Week 5

We may still have Rocky Top stuck in our heads after hearing it way too many times for a 31-point Florida win, and some Gators fans may still be recovering from early morning drinking (seriously, who schedules a noon football game?), but we all survived Week 4.


Freddie Swain
Sports

The case for the air attack

I’ve written in the past about how important it is for Florida to establish its running game. That’s what good football teams do, right? They have balanced offenses and play calling and they get it done on the ground and in the air. They’re multifaceted and can beat you in a variety of ways.


Opinion

Darts and Laurels: Sept. 27

The weather is still unbearable. You feel a gentle breeze here and there, but Mother Nature lied about the fall season — or at least we did something to mess it up. Either way, it’s hot, you’re sweaty and the walk from the Reitz Union to Library West isn’t making things easier. 


Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash
Opinion

Stress less about your food

As exam season peaks its head around the corner, I think it’s important to talk about ways to maintain a healthy mental state while going through the rigors of midterms and finals. I’m not sure about everyone else, but for me the first thing to go during times of stress is always food. During a packed day, it just feels inconvenient to have to cook or go out. Although, I think anyone can tell this is a bad habit to keep. Food is the fuel your body will use when you study and eventually rock those exams, so it’s important to be mindful of what you use. Here I’ll recommend some foods that have helped me stay sharp during tests.


Fuchs
Opinion

As UF rises, what should endure?

Several years ago at another university, I met with the faculty members in one of the university’s colleges.  I was responsible for leading the search for the college’s next dean, and I wanted to hear the faculty’s input on the search. 


Opinion

Mental health is physical health

Take a moment and imagine a world where spraining an ankle is a taboo subject. Where someone with a fever is too embarrassed to see a doctor about it. Now, pull back and see that this is the world we live in, not with physical illnesses, but mental ones. 


books
Opinion

How reading can impact the rest of your life

Reading is important. This lesson is reiterated from the time we’re toddlers throughout our education. Despite constantly being told that reading is crucial for a successful life, many Americans lack basic reading skills. In 2017, it was reported that 43 percent of American adults read at an eighth-grade level or lower (Zoukis). Reading, however, is not just mere entertainment. Reading can determine one’s future. 


From left, Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. raise their hands to answer a question Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, during a Democratic presidential primary debate hosted by ABC at Texas Southern University in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Opinion

Older Democrats dominate the party, but don’t underestimate young people

Ten Democratic presidential candidates gathered on Thursday for the party’s third primary debate, and once again Joe Biden was in the news afterwards. In June, a confrontation betweenBiden and Kamala Harris concerning Biden’s previous stance on school integration using buses splashed across headlines. This time, it involves Biden’s response to a question about racial inequality and reparations. Biden’s answer was rambling and confusing, but what struck people the most was when he told parents and caretakers to “make sure you have the record player on at night,” so their kids would hear more words. Needless to say, record players are no longer in common use. Combined with Biden’s outdated references, the 76-year-old former vice president seem out of touch and unfamiliar with the modern world. 


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