Opinions - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Beyond the election, let's focus on nuanced conversation instead of insults

Nov. 20, 2016

A week ago, I spectated the anti-Donald Trump rally that was hosted by the Radical Student Association (RSA), and what I witnessed was disturbing. I heard the foolish spewing from both sides: the RSA’s representative speaker declaring, “I hate America,” and the Trump supporter in a U.S. hat shouting, “Leave our country.” However, what I saw was even more horrifying. I saw the convulsions of my fellow students’ faces, spit flying from their mouths as they attempted to scream all they could, and the little twitches in each of them when you could tell they’ve had enough – it was the tangible manifestation of how we have all felt during this grueling election year. It was fear, anger and confusion.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Be thankful, stay true to yourself and keep the faith

Nov. 20, 2016

It’s almost time for a break! This is exciting. Time to eat your body weight in stuffing, watch some football and then fall asleep on the floor at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving is also a time for family, which excites most people I talk to. However, this year more than any other, I’ve heard people sigh with dread when I bring up Thanksgiving. I ask why they feel this way, and it has been the same answer every time.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Darts and Laurels: November 18, 2016

Nov. 17, 2016

It’s a quiet November afternoon. The air is crisp, the sun is going down, and you’re sitting on your porch drinking some iced tea while reading The Independent Florida Alligator. You’re about to flip the page and make it to the Opinions Section when Lassie, the neighbor’s son’s dog, comes running up and starts barking at you. “What’s that, Lassie?” you ask while standing up, clutching the paper. Lassie continues to bark. “Timmy fell down the well?!” you exclaim, “that’s the third time this month, right?” Lassie barks quickly, confirming your suspicion of Timmy’s predictable recklessness. Hurriedly, you run over to the well, paper in hand. “Help, Mister! I can’t swim!” you hear him gurgle while he splashes about within a manageable arms reach. “Yeah, sucks to suck, Lassie. I’m about to hit page six of The Alligator, and not even your bloodcurdling cries for help can stop me from reading my favorite Alligator feature…

OPINION | COLUMNS

On the true Democratic powers of liberal media

Nov. 17, 2016

Ever since the advent of national news outlets in America, the country’s mass media has almost universally been more liberal. Those who are more Republican have accepted this as fact, using this as a go-to line whenever debating someone of the opposite party. This election season, however, has revealed the true severity of the media’s political leaning, and Republicans have finally, after decades of tolerating this as an unwavering feature of the culture, begun to say “no more.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Election Day is over, but the fight goes on: Don't give up on America's progress

Nov. 17, 2016

I feel like, on a national level, a lot of us have been moving through the stages of grief during this past week and a half. It started with us being in absolute denial that a candidate who many of us saw to be unfit had been elected. Once the initial shock subsided we were angry, outraged at the hateful reactions of extreme supporters. Some of us tried bargaining with the Electoral College as a last resort, with the hopes that maybe, just this one time, history could be rewritten and things would work out in our favor. When we realized that wasn’t possible, you could say a depression hit. It has taken a while to start moving on, but a lot of us are starting to accept the things we cannot change.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We should learn from mistakes and move forward in Trump’s America

Nov. 17, 2016

Election Day came as a shock for many of us, and very few succeeded in predicting the outcome — not the academics, intellectuals or media, and certainly not the Hillary Clinton campaign.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's not an election hot take: Let's talk about memes and their significance

Nov. 16, 2016

Instead of doing the predictable thing and giving my hot take on the election results, which will undoubtedly echo that of people in my similar demographic, I’m going to talk about memes.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Sifting through the fragmented aftermath of the election one week later

Nov. 16, 2016

It began even before either candidate had hit the magic threshold of 270 projected electoral votes.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

An uncomfortable Trump comparison

Nov. 16, 2016

On Oct. 10, we ran an editorial titled “Is Trump a modern-day Hitler?” We concluded at the end of the piece that the answer was “not really” but that Trump and his cronies are “blurring that line more and more every day.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Hope, love and hallelujah from President Fuchs

Nov. 16, 2016

The night before my birthday, Nov. 3, I received the gift I was hoping for but didn’t expect: The Chicago Cubs won the World Series.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Philosophical musings on ‘Dr. Strange’

Nov. 15, 2016

Be warned, dear reader. This editorial contains many spoilers for Marvel’s latest movie, “Dr. Strange.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Regardless of the presidential election's outcome, respect is universal

Nov. 15, 2016

Since the election, we have seen some mixed responses to the results. From protest to social confrontation, the U.S. has been facing an important transitional stage. As a Latina, I have had the opportunity to experience both sides of the coin these days, from friends approaching me to offer their support and tell me they will always have my back to acquaintances stereotyping me and joking about my immigration status.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How pornography affects our perceptions of sex

Nov. 15, 2016

The summer after sixth grade I was 12 years old, and I was attending camp on weekdays while my parents were at work. This was the first time in my life I noticed the sexual features of the female body. Every day I would go to the pool, and I’d see girls wearing skimpy bikinis, outlining their breasts and showing off large patches of skin on their stomachs, legs and backs. It was during this summer that I French-kissed a girl for the first time. She was one year older than me, she had curly blond hair and her cheeks were peppered with acne. We made out by the vending machines at a bowling alley the camp took us to.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's empowering to see fashion, technology coming together to support women

Nov. 15, 2016

The “Unleash your Creativity Through Technology” tour brought a multitude of women from diverse fields of study to discuss their issues with current gender inequity and how to progress toward higher education for women.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Ye godless children of Florida

Nov. 14, 2016

As an educational institution, UF pursues justified, true beliefs. We strive to get as close to the truth as possible. To do this, we employ a healthy dose of rational skepticism; we critically analyze all claims, and every theory must contain an element of falsifiability.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How Facebook affected voters' decisions

Nov. 14, 2016

Like many others, I had to take a break from social media in the days following the election. While I understood some prefer to sort through their emotions on a public platform, I also realized I was soaking up these feelings like an overly empathetic sponge. In the past year, social media became synonymous with the election, as each day brought new stories, poll numbers and voices to my various feeds.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Ninja Sex Party: an analysis of character-driven comedy and sexual humor

Nov. 14, 2016

I really like the comedy band Ninja Sex Party. It’s a good band. Members Dan Avidan and Brian Wecht portray the characters Danny Sexbang and Ninja Brian, respectively, and the band’s songs chronicle their adventures. These chronicles, per the name, are usually about ninjas, sex or parties, but every chronicle serves to flesh out the two characters. I’m going to rapid-fire some opinions about Ninja Sex Party and character-driven comedy, so strap in. Are you strapped in? You are? Are you in a car? You shouldn’t be reading the paper while driving. You’re in the passenger’s seat? You shouldn’t be reading the paper while denying your driving friend the very same pleasure. Feel free to read this column aloud to the driver so they may too revel in my coolness.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

The implications of President-elect Trump

Nov. 13, 2016

With the election slowly fading back into our national collective memory, we feel it necessary to spur a discussion about our democracy. We wish to remind our readers that democracy is more complex than formal electoral processes. It is a complex and informal grid of unwritten, collective ideologies smashing together, breaking apart and reforming anew. When Donald Trump won, it really symbolized a total breakdown of a political machine — similar to the Brexit vote. We now have the opportunity to rebuild it. We can rebuild it as a total fascist movement or we can rebuild it with a fresh start.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Dear white people: Here's what your votes taught me about this country

Nov. 13, 2016

I never had a dream wedding built-up in my mind. I didn’t plan the flavor of the frosting on my cake, even though I dreamt about eating everyone else’s food.

OPINION | EDITORIALS

Don’t abandon our future

Nov. 9, 2016

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” – Thomas Jefferson