In my five years at UF, I’ve met many people who have raised similar questions to yours regarding the sincerity and efficiency of Dance Marathon’s fundraising efforts. They’re good questions. I’m sure they’re coming from a place of genuine concern. In fact, I’ve asked the same questions myself.
Flat Tummy Tea ads: They pop up almost everywhere on social media. It is possible that you have seen one on your Instagram, or maybe you follow an influencer who endorses the product every chance they get. But is this get-skinny-quick product actually useful? YouTubers have made videos documenting themselves trying the product, and online reviews offer more insight. However, from these reviews, it seems the only thing this product guarantees is that you’ll be running to the bathroom. So why do influential social media users continue to promote such a product, especially one targeted to young girls, a demographic more likely to dislike their own bodies?
It would be tempting to think the most pressing political and cultural question of our day is the question of political affiliation: Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. We certainly spend a lot of time wondering if someone, especially someone famous, is one or the other, or which party is better, which view is the correct one. We tuck people we meet or see on TV nicely into those groups so we know what to think about them. “He’s a liberal,” we often say to describe a person, or “She leans conservative.” These are meaningful terms to us, capable of telling you all you need to know about another person. We believe strongly in them.
I used to be against the habit of regularly spending money on coffee. My parents were against it too. They would forward articles to my sisters and I about saving $5 a day. They would shake their heads in disappointment whenever they spotted us with a Starbucks cup in our hands. Comments like, “Is that coffee really worth it?” and “You could’ve donated that money to charity!” were not uncommon. I understood their logic, so I only bought it when I really wanted to treat myself. My dad is a full-blown caffeine addict with an ensured headache if he doesn’t drink at least three cups a day. I knew it wasn’t smart to get into the habit anyway.
“For The Kids.” It has a nice ring to it.
Everyone has been in this position: You recently applied for a promotion, a job, a program or an internship. You put your all into the application and you think it’s in the bag. Sadly, a few weeks later, you get an email notifying you that you were not selected for this opportunity. You’ve been rejected. You start to think about what went wrong. Why didn’t this company or school see what you have to offer? You begin to wonder what you could have done differently. Rejection is never fun. It’s a gut-wrenching feeling that leaves you insecure, sad and alone. It’s that time of the year when people are applying for new opportunities. While some will get wonderful news, others will get rejected. How do you deal with this?
For my next trick, I am going to guess your favorite place in the world. Close your eyes and think of this place and of where you’d rather be than where you are. Imagine the environment. The sounds. The smells. The sights. Have you thought of it? Great. Now, open your eyes, and I will guess what you were thinking of.
Happy April Fools’ Day, Gators! The time for humor, jokes and, of course, pranks both large and small is upon us. While I enjoy the merriment of the holiday as much as anyone else, this column is not a joke. In fact, it is a serious column on a somewhat serious issue: how to prank responsibly.
You sit anxiously in front of your laptop watching the tiny numbers at the edge of your screen. You are waiting for the hour mark to hit 8 a.m. Sheets of papers are strewn out in front of you with highlighted phrases slashed across each page. You do your best to organize your thoughts because it’s almost go time. It’s almost time to pick your classes. A virtual tug of war awaits. You know you are going to have to fight for the classes you want.
UF does its best with providing the services students need across a variety of issues. The Career Connections Center gives students a head start in preparing to enter the workforce. GatorWell helps spread awareness of student health to make sure students know what resources they may have. But the service that is vital for students in a world of growing anxiety, the UF Counseling and Wellness Center, isn’t keeping up with its monumental task: the maintenance of the mental health of UF’s students.
So there I was, reconsidering my life decisions at a 7 a.m. Senate Judiciary Committee meeting when the topic of blue lights came up. There was a resolution, specifically a “Resolution Recommending Installation of Emergency Blue Light Phones Along and Adjacent to Fraternity Drive.” Apparently, there are not many blue lights around Fraternity Row, which is slightly concerning because we all know what can happen around there.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
![MaKenzie Woody, 6, a first-grader at a DC Prep elementary school in Southeast Washington, has been through multiple lockdowns this year because of nearby gun violence. [Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post]
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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.
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.
Solutions by The State News
