Opinion

---

Opinion

Darts and Laurels: Feb. 15, 2019

Feb. 14, 2019

It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, which means the day of love has come and gone just as quickly as that box of chocolates sitting on your dining room table. But today is even better because all things love-related are half off at Target. Were you eyeing that giant Reese’s heart-shaped candy but couldn’t possibly find a reason to buy it? Well, guess what? Today, it’s only $5 — an instant cop. This week was about showing everyone you love how much you care about them, with Galentine’s Day, Palentine’s Day and of course Valentine’s Day.

---

Opinion

The mid-semester crisis is an epidemic

Feb. 14, 2019

We all know about midlife crises. For those of you who understand the struggle people face when confronting the issue of time constantly moving, the idea of the midlife crisis may haunt you. You ask questions of yourself: Am I doing enough? What have I done with the time I’ve used? How much time did I waste?

---

Opinion

Love at first sight may not be just a myth

By Chasity Maynard | Feb. 14, 2019

I cry every single time I watch “Up.” Carl and Ellie’s heartwarming love at first sight story just gets me, and their tragic end really opens the floodgates. This idea of love is cheesy and a little overused. I don’t even care that Hallmark movies use the same love at first sight storyline, though, because it never gets old. I love watching those corny films because I just want an instant, all-encompassing love to exist. I want it so bad that I have genuine faith in love at first sight. Don’t get me wrong I don’t think it’s the only way to find love. Quite the contrary, I think it’s rarely the way people meet their spouses. I do believe, however, that this kind of love is out there, and some lucky people find their partners that way.

---

Opinion

I wasn't attracted to my partner anymore. This is how I dealt with it.

Feb. 14, 2019

A few years ago, I found myself in a messy situation. I had been dating a guy for two months, and he clearly wanted to take the relationship to the next level. Although our personalities meshed well and I enjoyed being around him, something wasn’t right. I didn’t know what it was until one day he leaned in to kiss me, and I leaned away. At that point I realized I was attracted to his personality, not him. I broke up with him and like any person with a conscience, I felt horrible.

---

Sports

Now is the best time to be an undersized NFL quarterback. Kyler Murray will prove it.

By Alanis Thames | Feb. 12, 2019

Kyler Murray’s announcement on Monday was a mere formality.

---

Opinion

Face it. It’ll happen again.

Feb. 12, 2019

Despite our best efforts, life after the Parkland shooting hasn’t changed for the majority of us.

---

Opinion

Dating in college isn't as common as you think

Feb. 12, 2019

As Valentine’s Day looms, a lot of us find ourselves fending off feelings of distress, frustration and loneliness. It’s not hard to be single the other 11 months of the year, but February offers a unique blow to the self-esteem of lonely hearts everywhere.

---

Opinion

Valentine’s Day should be about love, not gifts

Feb. 12, 2019

As a kid, filling out the “to” and “from” section of small cardboard Valentine’s Day cards from CVS gave me a rush. The best part was folding the piece of paper in half and diligently attaching the heart sticker to keep the card from revealing the sender. Those little Valentine’s Day cards told my classmates I cared and made my third-grade heart happy. But now I am much older and barely any wiser, and I realize that 1) the “rush” was probably from sugar and 2) we spend way too much money on Valentine’s Day.

---

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: The Missteps of Ian Green

Feb. 12, 2019

It seems that our Student Body President Ian Green fundamentally misunderstands a lot of things about our Student Government and campaign climate. Ian’s most recent letter to the editor is filled with mistakes that effectively demonstrate this.

---

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Why I did not rise

Feb. 11, 2019

Last Tuesday night during our weekly Student Government Senate meeting, I abstained from voting on a resolution to recognize the installment of Juan Guaidó as the interim president of Venezuela. Not too long after, one of my friends called me out on Facebook. Then, Student Body Vice President David Enriquez did so similarly in a letter to the editor published in The Alligator titled “Stand Up for Students.”

---

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: The Miseducation of Zachariah Chou

Feb. 10, 2019

Hey Gators! As election day at UF gets closer and closer, there is always a certain amount of negative campaigning that takes place before students vote. With that said, Zachariah Chou’s mischaracterization of his record and criticisms of Student Government go a step too far.

---

Opinion

The 2020 election is breaking records already

Feb. 10, 2019

American women received the right to vote in 1920, and exactly 100 years later, the 2020 election is breaking records for women. Sen. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota became the sixth Democratic woman to put in her bid for the Democratic presidential nominee when she announced her candidacy on Sunday. She follows Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and author Marianne Williamson. Collectively, they’re making this upcoming presidential race the first in history to have that many women running at one time for the Democratic presidential nomination.

---

Opinion

Young women must stop seeking male validation

Feb. 10, 2019

Part of young adulthood is marked by a craving for intimacy and acceptance. You can see people forming connections, romantic or otherwise, anywhere on a college campus. Couples sit together in the library and new people strike up conversation in Midtown. It’s common to want to make new connections. But too often, there is a lot of emphasis on gaining validation from people whose validations are not particularly remarkable. This is especially common among young women who are seeking validation from men.

---

Opinion

An open letter on the trials of fitness

Feb. 10, 2019

The gym can be best described as difficult to enter and easy to leave. However, the benefits of the resulting strength and self-confidence you work for within the walls of Southwest Recreation Center or Student Recreation & Fitness Center follow you long after you leave.

---

Opinion

Conversion therapy must be banned in Alachua County

Feb. 10, 2019

Gay rights have made tremendous strides in the past decade with gay marriage legalized as of 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision and states banning discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, one issue still haunts the LGBTQ+ community: conversion therapy.

---

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Stand Up for Students

Feb. 9, 2019

Every student is entitled their own political opinions, but it is the role of our elected officials to act on them and use their voices to represent their constituents. The key word in that statement is “act.”

---

Opinion

Show bingers beware: Spoiling is on the rise and it needs to stop

Feb. 7, 2019

I am a victim of a spoiler. In an interview before the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance revealed details about the second “Black Panther” movie. The actors got too excited and decided to drop spoilers. Herein lies the issue: My unexpecting ears weren’t prepared to hear this information.

---

Opinion

Darts & Laurels: Feb. 8, 2019

Feb. 7, 2019

The sun and the heat are finally back where they belong in the Sunshine State, and it’s time to get back to business as usual — days beside the pool. You grab your towel and slide your sunglasses onto your face, making your way down to the pool. You slip into one of the reclining chairs that line the outside of the pool and begin to relax. Thoughts of midterms pushed firmly out of your head, the only thing on your mind is the shoreline that awaits you during Spring Break.

---

Opinion

Letter to the Editor: Impact's dirty little secret

Feb. 7, 2019

So there I was on Saturday afternoon, existing.

---

Opinion

Krishna Lunch is the perfect cure for a bad day

Feb. 7, 2019

The first article I ever published for The Independent Florida Alligator was a comedic piece about where to study around campus. One of the places I suggested going to was Plaza of the Americas, and I stand by this statement. It’s still where I eat and study most weekdays. I spend most of my waking hours on Plaza because Krishna Lunch has become a staple in my diet. No, seriously. I eat it all. the. time. And that’s saying something because I am an extraordinarily finicky eater.