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Picks Column: Week 2

Week 1 is officially in the books, and it was a doozy.

UF men's, women’s golf open seasons this weekend

Last season, then-junior Sierra Brooks torched the rest of the field on her way to a seven-stroke individual victory at the Cougar Classic. Rounds of 65 and 62 – the latter setting a course record – also led Florida to a team victory in its annual season opener in South Carolina.

3 things to watch Saturday

There’s a lot we still don’t know about Florida’s football team.

UF rolls out new game day experiences ahead of home opener

It’s been 293 days since Florida football hosted an opponent in the Swamp. 

Dignity Village to close by Jan. 1, transition homeless elsewhere

Be kind to the weather person

During discussions of hurricane tracks, forecasts and cones of uncertainty, I’ve heard mention of how the meteorologists discussing these forecasts “always” get it wrong or make mistakes. While I can understand why people feel this way, such comments detract from the important work that meteorologists do.

A tan suit never hurt anyone

On August 28, 2014, President Barack Obama shocked the world. While he talked about the state of Ukraine and the war against Isis, Twitter was going insane over his tan suit. People couldn’t stop complaining about such a minor thing. Presidents traditionally wear darker colors when dressing professionally, but on that day, President Obama decided to go with something lighter. Back then, it seemed like the public judged anything the president did. It was like he lived under a scrutinizing microscope. Now, it seems we no longer keep the president on our radar.

Student Government budget crisis: the continuing story

People often make a valid critique of my columns (and by extension, me) in saying that all I do is complain about things without actually doing anything.

Will days off affect the SG slating process?

Gainesville man arrested following four armed robberies in six days, police say

He told a Dollar General cashier on Aug. 24 “I got this big a-- gun, you need to put all the money in the bag,” according to an arrest report. It was a BB gun.

Gator Dining switches app used for mobile orders

UF students will have to download a new app to keep skipping the line at Starbucks.

UF faculty union secures new salary deal worth over $5 million

After four weeks of bargaining with UF’s Board of Trustees, UF’s United Faculty of Florida Union (UFF-UF) has finalized a deal to allocate $5.5 million toward salary raises and supplements. 

‘Everything is gone’: UF students collect donations for the Bahamas

The psychedelic renaissance is a welcome change

Once upon a time, psychedelic drugs were mysterious tools of experimental psychology and psychiatry being seriously investigated for their potential applications. Studies like the Harvard Psilocybin Project and the CIA’s attempts to use LSD as a mind-control agent in its secretive MK Ultra project drew plenty of attention. But before psychedelics could gain any considerable momentum or have their effects fully understood, the federal government outlawed them by making them Schedule I drugs in the 1960s 一 substances that have “no currently accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse” according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). For the next several decades, research was scarce. 

Why La Casita matters

Arriving in Gainesville from Miami left me with a massive culture shock. As a freshman, I was overwhelmed by the feeling I had sacrificed so much of what defined my life until then. From a Cuban coffee in the morning to a shared “buen provecho” at dinner, a lifetime of Hispanic and Latinx traditions were lost to me. There was a comfortable sense of familiarity in hearing Spanish regularly and visiting my local panadería every other day — a routine I never realized the significance of until it was gone. In its place was a town that I first characterized as unfamiliar and unwelcoming. 

Darts and Laurels

You arrive to class 15 minutes early Thursday morning. You feel strong, confident and beautiful. When the professor calls for the assignments to be passed forward, you pull out your paper and take a moment to relish your excellent work. Even the staple in the corner is gleaming. You took advantage of the hurricane closings to read ahead in the material. During the lecture, you raise your hand multiple times to contribute, earning several good points from the professor. Today is just the start. The entire semester is going to be like this. It is finally your time to shi— BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! You peel open your eyes. Ugh. Make it stop. You flop your hand around until it connects with your phone. Darn it. It was a dream. DARN IT. WHAT TIME IS IT?! You roll off the couch and scramble around trying to pull together clothes. There’s drool all over your cheek and chin. You trip over trash on the floor. You flip open your Mac and pull up the paper that you fully intended to write days ago but only started around dawn. You send it to the printer. Something smells and you’re pretty sure it’s you. You grab the pages and rush out the door. You finally get to class. Everyone has already handed in their assignments and you do your best to inconspicuously add yours to the pile. It’s a little crumpled and held together by a folded corner. You aren’t optimistic about your grade. Is it too late to drop the class? You sink into your seat and notice something written on the board. In big, dry erase block letters it reads

In 2020, Democrats must remember down-ballot races

It goes without saying that the presidential election will be the main event of the 2020 campaign cycle. The White House is now home to a historically polarizing and unpopular president who is tearing away at the moral fabric and reputation of the country — and the Democrats must take it back. But we cannot forget the other fronts on which Democrats must play both offense and defense.

Two minors threaten to ‘shoot up’ Westwood Middle School on a fake Instagram profile, police say

A Gainesville child didn’t want to go to school, so he and another child made a fake school shooting threat on Instagram.

Stanford sweeps Florida volleyball in home opener

It wasn’t disastrous, per se, but it certainly wasn’t pretty either. 

Hurricane Dorian to bring wind and rain to Gainesville Wednesday

Although Gainesville may have dodged Hurricane Dorian, residents may still be affected by the storm’s strong winds and rain Wednesday.