Opinion
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Gender is more than just a pronoun
Sep. 11, 2016What outfit do you want to be buried in when you die? Go on; really think about it. You’ll probably want something nice and flattering. Above all, though, you’ll want something representative of the person you were when you were alive. This might seem easy for some of you. But for someone whose gender identity is nonconforming, this is a heavy question.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Dear returners: own your experiences, and own this year
Sep. 11, 2016Hi, friends! You may not recognize my name. That’s because I am brand spanking new to the opinions section! Let me introduce myself. I’m Taylor Cavaliere, and I am so excited to be writing to you all as a columnist this semester! I’d also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart: If you’re reading, then my worst fear (that literally not one person will read my column) has not come to fruition.
OPINION
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DARTS LAURELS
Darts & Laurels: September 9, 2016
Sep. 8, 2016Life is strange. The future is unpredictable. You find that scary. You seek answers everywhere, but the more you discover, the less you know. The confusion slowly dissipates, and fear starts to take its place. All hope seems lost. In the darkness, you see a flicker of light. With curiosity ablaze you chase after the glimmer, and as you grow nearer and nearer you stumble upon the Friday edition of the Independent Florida Alligator. In it, you find something that makes everything okay. That something is…
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Kaepernick and radical social justice
Sep. 8, 2016When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested the national anthem before an NFL preseason game Aug. 26, I felt the ensuing outrage was overblown. I agreed with President Obama’s response — it is Kaepernick’s constitutional right to protest what he sees as a problem of racism and police brutality in America. By the same token, it is also the right of those who disagree with him to criticize him for his method of protest. As far as I was concerned, the discussion ended there.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Slow down and love life around you
Sep. 8, 2016I didn’t have many friends growing up. The few friends I did have were only made because we were stuck together for X number of hours every day from elementary school until high-school graduation. Most of them didn’t stick around too long after the classrooms no longer held us together. I realized shortly after graduation I would be going into college entirely alone in a completely new city, and I was terrified. But now Gainesville feels more like home than my hometown ever did. I feel like I belong here, and I’ve found my niche. I’m able to surround myself with people whom I genuinely care about and who genuinely care about me. What scares me, though, is that this is a town where a solid chunk of its population is constantly in transit, so it’s almost impossible to tell how long these people will be in my life.
OPINION
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EDITORIALS
A message to the University of Kentucky
Sep. 7, 2016Right now, a university is suing its student newspaper.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
How LA police use football for change
Sep. 7, 2016For the second time last Thursday, San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem before an NFL preseason game. In his own words: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish for me to look the other way.”
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Reflections on 9/11
Sep. 7, 2016It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years. I can still remember sitting in my first-grade classroom as the routine morning announcements played on the television, just as they had every day. Nothing unusual. When the announcements were over, my teacher turned on a local news broadcast. Maybe she had heard what was happening. Maybe it was a coincidence. I don’t remember.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
STEM versus humanities: the war that shouldn’t exist
Sep. 7, 2016On the off chance you’ve been paying attention to my byline, you may have noticed I have two very different majors: English and computer science. I can already tell that your reaction is probably one of two things: complete, utter confusion or a strange, hesitant sense of awe — maybe even some combination of the two. Whatever it is, I get it. Even though people who are good at both artsy things and tech things exist (and are actually far more common than you’d believe), it’s rare that someone decides to take the leap and actually do both things. But trust me, we’re around. I know someone double majoring in mathematics and art and someone else who is a pre-med English major. And I’m sure others like us are out there.
OPINION
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EDITORIALS
We need to take better care of the sick
Sep. 6, 2016As I’m sure you can tell from yesterday’s editorial, the talented David Hoffman is taking a break from writing. With that sad news behind us, I feel like I should reintroduce myself. My name is Zachary Lee. I’m very excited to announce that I will be joining the Alligator in a more involved capacity for the remainder of the semester. I’m humbled and honored (typical tacky word choice, but sincere, I assure you) to have you all as my audience.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Two sides of the same coin: my thoughts on this election
Sep. 6, 2016One thing this presidential election has brought out in the general public that I cannot stand is the peculiar habit of people to air their opinions as frequently as CNN mentions Donald Trump. Seriously, if you watch 15 minutes of CNN, you’ll think Trump is Dr. Evil from “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.” It seems to me this behavior, namely the obsessive instinct to break down every single word and deed from both candidates, has trickled down into our everyday conversations. To be honest, I am tired of reading and hearing the banal, repetitive and cliche opinions that have been passed around as frequently as a cute puppy since last year.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Roommates, part one: Is it possible to not fall in love with them?
Sep. 6, 2016Last year I moved into an apartment with three of my close friends: Jessica, Lizzy and Mara (all pseudonyms). I fell in love with Mara at the beginning of the Spring of my sophomore year.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
How to master beauty and dominate your interactions
Sep. 6, 2016Haven’t we all fallen in love? But what is love? Why do we get physically attracted to someone? Why do we consider someone pretty? What should we consider to be absolute beauty? You may find this surprising, but everything related to love and attraction is rooted in biology.
OPINION
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EDITORIALS
Stay hungry: Never settle for face-value
Sep. 5, 2016Hello, dear readers. So, this is David, coming out of the closet to speak to you directly.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
A methodical look at the nautical: SpongeBob
Sep. 5, 2016Let’s jump right into things, shall we? I’m just kidding. I never do that — jump into things, that is. I always ramble for the first few hundred words so I can release all my pent-up charm and wit. I just watched “Back to the Future” this weekend for the first time in a while.
OPINION
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letter to the Editor: The fight to restore online voting
Sep. 5, 2016Today at 5 p.m. in room 285C of the Levin College of Law, Tyler Richards and I will argue before Student Government’s Supreme Court and make the case to restore the remote-online-voting amendment the Student Body passed last Spring. During Summer, the court recalled this amendment and three others after re-interpreting the vote-tallying language in the Student Body constitution, arguing those who voted in the elections for president or Student Senate but abstained from voting on the amendment should be counted against the 60-percent approval required to pass.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Our fragile America needs repair, truth
Sep. 5, 2016The human being is a fragile specimen, subject to the prying hands of time. Our bodies endure much wear and tear: weather, injuries, inopportune falls. Bruises lay over the fine canvas of our skin, fading one day and returning the next. In enough time, should you allow such bruises to fester, they consume your existence.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
For collegiate Floridians, hurricane parties are dangerous yet necessary
Sep. 5, 2016To this day, I’m still amazed by the colorful range of responses that an approaching hurricane will bring forth from Floridians. Non-native residents frantically plan for the looming apocalypse by stocking up on nonperishables, flashlights and bottled water. Concerned parents beg their college kids to stay indoors, avoid power lines and charge their cellphones.
OPINION
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EDITORIALS
Darts & Laurels: September 2, 2016
Sep. 1, 2016Not even two weeks into classes, and we get hit with Hermine, the first hurricane to hit Florida in 11 years. Maybe this is a sign we shouldn’t have come back to school to begin with? Or maybe Mother Nature is just sick of all the “Florida Man” stories and finally decided to pull the plug on our state altogether. Well, Florida, it was fun while it lasted. So as you curl up by the fireplace app on your smartphone and avoid the apocalypse going on outside today, please enjoy our roast of the week, our lighthearted musings, our stormy-day edition of…
