Opinion

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Sports

Column: UF athletic department should follow Luke Del Rio’s lead and condemn Richard Spencer

By Ethan Bauer | Oct. 19, 2017

The University of Florida sat still on Thursday. Classes continued on like normal, but campus felt dead. Or at least, everywhere except its southwest corner. That’s where white nationalist Richard Spencer’s speech attracted attention and sparked confrontations between his small number of supporters and hundreds of protesters. The event was one of the biggest spectacles in recent university memory, with more than half a million dollars spent on security. But if you took a peek at most Twitter accounts associated with UF athletics, you’d have no idea it happened.

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Sports

Picks column bye week: Is Florida’s season already over?

Oct. 19, 2017

The halfway point in the season is upon us, and Florida is already limping to the finish with a 3-3 record. Luckily for the Gators, they have a bye week, giving their fans a chance to have at least one fall Saturday without inevitable disappointment. With a looming matchup against No. 3 Georgia, things are looking bleak for the Gators’ season. But is it time to officially declare Florida’s 2017 campaign is over? That’s for our writers to decide. Before we make our picks for this weekend’s college football games, alligatorSports editor Matt Brannon and assistant editor Dylan Dixon are going to debate whether Florida’s season is already over.

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Sports

Column: Bragging after a loss? Another instance of the Gators’ laughable social media conduct

By Dylan Dixon | Oct. 18, 2017

I had a column published last week about Florida’s football players and their questionable social media profiles.

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Sports

Column: 25 things that made me cringe in the Gators’ loss to Texas A&M

By Matt Brannon | Oct. 17, 2017

It’s tough to go into a bye week on a loss. That’s what coach Jim McElwain said after UF dropped its second straight home game to the Aggies, 19-17, on Saturday.

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Opinion

UF must lead on free speech and stand up for the First Amendment

Oct. 17, 2017

I have watched, with intense interest, the preparations and conversations that have surrounded the visit by Richard Spencer to UF’s campus in Gainesville. I have been a part of the conversations regarding UF President Kent Fuchs’ decisions and a supporter of how UF has placed the safety of the campus and Gainesville community at the forefront. Fuchs and his team have carefully balanced the absolute requirement for student safety with UF’s strong commitment to the freedom of speech.

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Opinion

The only way to confront the issue of social survival is through intellectuality

Oct. 17, 2017

It seems established in our common knowledge that comedy is tragedy plus time. This applies to what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as what is to come of Richard Spencer’s visit to UF on Thursday. The initial cancellation of Spencer’s event is not an attack on freedom of speech,but actually championing the matter.

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Opinion

Weinstein scandal shows Hollywood is full of it

Oct. 17, 2017

By now, everyone has read about the accusations surrounding Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein. His list of accusers has grown significantly over the last week, as dozens of women have now come out and accused him of sexual assault or rape.

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Opinion

Kindness won’t make Thursday go away, but it won’t hurt either

Oct. 17, 2017

Nobody wants to see their city at the end of a “pray for” hashtag. Nobody wants to see their home in a hurricane’s projected path. (Almost) nobody wants to see their university become a meeting point for a white supremacist and his supporters — but Thursday, UF will see exactly that.

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Opinion

UF should have canceled classes for student safety

Oct. 17, 2017

As we are sure you are all painfully aware, Richard Spencer, a notorious white supremacist, will be coming to our campus to speak Thursday. While writing this editorial, we at the Alligator are feeling a bit conflicted. Should we be giving Spencer attention? Should people speak out in protest or ignore the hate? Does Spencer have a right to speak at all? We’ve watched as many newspaper editorial boards defended the First Amendment and Spencer’s right to speak. We’ve also heard from countless UF students and faculty members who don’t feel safe on their own campus this Thursday. To those who feel unsafe: We hear you. We struggle to find a world where free speech means it’s OK to encourage others to partake in racism with a violent past, present and future.

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Sports

Column: After U.S. men’s soccer loss, it's important not to forget about the women’s team

By Jake Dreilinger | Oct. 16, 2017

The United States men’s soccer team lost to Trinidad and Tobago a week ago, knocking out any chance of the U.S. making the World Cup in Russia next year.

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Sports

Column: McElwain isn’t the only one feeling the heat: Three coaching hot seats in the SEC East

By Skyler Lebron | Oct. 15, 2017

We’re smack dab in the middle of SEC football conference play, and some coaches are already suffering from severe butt sweats from how hot their seats are. Some might also be a little more soothingly warm on the buttocks than you might expect.

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Opinion

It’s time we stop accepting sexual assault as the norm

Oct. 15, 2017

We live in a society where sexual assault and abuse are not only too common but pretty much expected. We live in a society where those with power feel entitled to take what they assume they deserve. We live in a society where women are exploited. Worst of all, we live in a society that is allowing all of this to happen. Again. And again. And again.

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Opinion

A comprehensive look at my desert island necessities

Oct. 15, 2017

This week, I’m taking a brief breather from the flurry of politics to discuss a different topic near and dear to my heart: my all-time favorite books and movies that I have fondly deemed my “desert island necessities.” In other words, if you stuck me on a deserted island and said, “Hey, Mia, here’s enough food and water to last you a week on your own, but you can only take three books and three movies along,” this is what I would bring. Yeah, I know it’s not realistic, but this is my column, OK?

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Opinion

Don’t worry, even if you’re unsure of your happiness

Oct. 15, 2017

We don’t want to be sad. I mean, you can’t really blame us. Why would we want to be sad? Being sad, anxious or upset means being uncomfortable. We fight to avoid discomfort and to find that place where we feel comfortable. We want everything to be just so: nothing out of place, nothing left unaccounted for. We make lists and check them off. We fulfill obligations and settle into a routine that is safe. We pursue happiness. After all, is that not the ultimate goal?

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Opinion

U Matter, the CWC Matters

Oct. 15, 2017

Upon reading the article about UF’s Counseling & Wellness Center fee proposal being denied, I felt deeply disappointed. “Affordability is of the utmost importance to our students.” Really?

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Opinion

SG kills mental health funding: A travesty of priorities

Oct. 15, 2017

I strongly condemn the actions of the four Student Government officials on the local fee committee who recently struck down a possible increase of much-needed funding for the Counseling & Wellness Center, located at 3190 Radio Road.

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Sports

Column: It’s time for changes

By Ethan Bauer | Oct. 14, 2017

It’s finally happening.

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Sports

Picks column Week 7: Polka dot jerseys

Oct. 12, 2017

It has been a trying week for the Florida Gators football program. The team lost by one-point to LSU, lost multiple players with injuries and lost the respect of some fans by ditching the orange and blue uniforms this weekend. The Gators will take the field Saturday against Texas A&M wearing green jerseys that the Oregon Ducks passed on. The jerseys took 18 months to design since the artist accidentally opened Internet Explorer and had to wait for it to close. He then used the remaining 10 minutes to put black polka dots on a greenish-gray background. The team first got the idea for the jerseys when Nike approached them and told them that no one was buying Gators merchandise. A year and a half later, here we are. The Florida-Texas A&M game is sure to be one of the most interesting picks this week. But before we get into all of our picks and meet our competitors, Alligator sports editors Matt Brannon and Dylan Dixon will break down the much-anticipated matchup between Delta State and West Florida. Be sure to catch Statesmen and the Argonauts on Saturday on BLAB TV.

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Opinion

An open letter from some members of UF IFAS departments

Oct. 12, 2017

For the most up-to-date letter, visit goo.gl/7t3zeC. 

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Opinion

A column for UF President Kent Fuchs: Make UF great, for once

Oct. 12, 2017

No part of America has been untouched by President Donald Trump’s already disastrous presidency. In less than 10 months, Trump and his supporters have resurrected and instrumentalized racism and xenophobia, undermining the dignity of America and Americans.