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Thursday, March 28, 2024

It’s that time of year, dear readers: The days are getting hotter, the sun’s growing brighter, the list of your friends on wild summer vacations is getting longer and longer. Don’t worry: You may be shaping up for exams now that Summer A is halfway over, but this Summer here in Gainesville is still fire. Traffic is super light, the lines to the clubs are nearly non-existent and there are fewer people around to clog up your Wi-Fi when you’re on an all-night gaming spree. Most of all, you’re in for a treat: our senseless ramblings, our assessment of life’s deepest concerns, our latest segment of…

Darts & Laurels

We know religion and spirituality are touchy subjects for us young adults. Some feel very attached to their religious values, while others feel more comfortable abstaining from religious practice altogether. But for those of you interested in, perhaps, re-engaging the church or looking for interesting sermons, we’d like to recommend Kanye West’s recent appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on May 19.

It was a touchy interview for Ellen; West went off on a nearly six-and-a-half minute rant on his talent, career, upbringing and vision for a better humanity. Some of it was incredibly sincere, and we want to give West a laurel for opening up so genuinely and injecting some introspection into daytime television (and to Ellen for her patience). But you have to admit: West’s rant was hilarious.

He went to preach things like: "Everything that I sonically make is a painting. I see it. I see the importance — I see the importance and the value of everyone being able to experience a more beautiful life." It’s a beautiful point, but when you go and watch the interview, the awkward vibes in the room and Ellen’s face make the whole thing hilarious to watch. By the end of it, West said, “I’m sorry, daytime television. I’m sorry for the realness.” We forgive you for getting real, Kanye. Keep on keeping it real.

In political news, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kent., published on op-ed in Time magazine Monday. Paul called out the perpetual warfare in the Middle East that President Bush and Obama have continued over the years, and he demands a return to congressional authority on declaring war. Regardless of how you feel on Paul’s commitment to conservatism in the realm of foreign policy, it’s refreshing to see Paul return to the sort of discussion his father, Ron Paul, brought to the Republican Party.

Especially looking to how tame Paul got this past election season in order to gain political points with his Republican base, it’s nice to see him go back to his purism on reducing the military industrial complex and re-engaging our foreign policy operatives. So welcome back to sanity, Mr. Paul. We give you a laurel for your coming out of the closet on your true beliefs regarding foreign policy.

We do remain quite concerned with how Paul got behind He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for the sake of unity in the Republican Party. This is why voters feel disenfranchised with the current political establishment: It’s beholden to party lines instead of the people; meanwhile, it boasts of its commitment to principles while tossing them aside for the sake of “party unity.” So we give a dart to Paul for his impulsive political decisions regarding the party nominee. They say maturity comes with age and experience… unless you’re getting into politics, it seems.

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