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Sunday, March 29, 2026

Opinion: Columns

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Created Equal has a constitutional right to demonstrate

Mar. 15, 2015

The reaction to the demonstrations of the Ohio-based, anti-abortion group, Created Equal, when it came to campus Tuesday and Wednesday was overwhelmingly negative. The protesters, angry passers-by and columnists in this newspaper expressed their ill will toward the group and its demonstration. Some students claimed the whole demonstration was ineffective. Others thought it was tasteless.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Influx of fabricated news leads to misinformed society

Mar. 12, 2015

A poll released this week shows Americans trust Fox News more than any other television news network. The notion that Americans trust Fox more than any other network demonstrates one of two things: Either Americans are very dumb, or the quality of television news across all networks is very poor. Regardless, it demonstrates that the fourth estate needs serious work.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Republican legislators in Arizona not interested in compromise

Mar. 12, 2015

As a political science major, it is my job to understand what motivates political actors to make certain decisions. The natural inclination is to assume that political actors — like, I don’t know, let’s just say the Arizona Legislature — base their decisions on a well-informed, rational basis — or, at the very least, a basic sense of fundamental human decency.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

‘Slut’: to reclaim or to make obsolete?

Mar. 10, 2015

“Slut” is a common insult reserved for women who are seen as too sexually permissive, too promiscuous or who dress in a way that might suggest sexuality. In diminishing a woman’s status to that of a “slut,” her worth is minimized to her sexual behavior, and her sexual expression is shamed. Women are famously held to a different sexual standard than men — men are encouraged to engage in frequent casual sex to prove their masculinity, while women who do so are seen as used, tarnished or impure in some way. 

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Drake’s album cover ignores rap’s origin

Mar. 10, 2015

When Beyoncé ended 2013 with a bang by releasing an unannounced album, Drake must have been taking notes. Last month, the Grammy award-winning rapper released his own unannounced album: “If Youre Reading This Its Too Late.” Drake’s album was not nearly as successful as the queen’s, but it held its own with almost 500,000 copies sold in its first week. Drake’s lyrical talents earned him some praise from 50 Cent, and I was even tempted to tap the thumbs-up button more than once on my own Pandora. While his lyrics impressed, his album cover disappointed.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

UCLA interrogation reveals anti-Semitism

Mar. 9, 2015

On February 10, a University of California, Los Angeles, student stood before her student council in the hope of being accepted to its judicial board. Rachel Beyda, a second-year economics major, had been unanimously approved by a review committee before she presented herself to the board. With an impressive academic record, leadership experience and several legal internships, Beyda’s confirmation seemed like a no-brainer.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Email scandal raises questions about Hillary’s feminist motives

Mar. 9, 2015

On Sunday, International Women’s Day reminded the nation of the battle for gender equality. The revolutionary cries of feminist advocates were heard and understood by many.  The population was exposed to the post-modern plight for freedom, which is remarkably similar to quests for liberty undertaken by our forefathers in past movements. And, in the same way proponents of past quests rallied behind strong leaders, so too did feminists rally behind iconic figures. Among the outspoken advocates was Hillary Clinton, whom many believe to be a great symbol for feminism.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Fifty years after Selma: Where are we?

Mar. 8, 2015

Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the Selma march for equal voting rights on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. To commemorate this monumental event led by Martin Luther King Jr. on March 7, 1965, President Barack Obama and his family, along with members of Congress, made a symbolic walk across the bridge.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Beware those who support the establishment of a national religion

Feb. 26, 2015

Whether we want to admit it, American voters establish arbitrary litmus tests for political candidates. These may ultimately disqualify certain individuals from ever holding office. As a member of a religious minority, one of these qualifications stings: the asinine requirement that we have a Christian president.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Raccoon Lagoon: Spring Break adventures

Feb. 26, 2015

Spring Break is a storied, cherished tradition of hedonism, drunken idiocy and regrettable hookups. Shown so artfully in director Harmony Korine’s film “Spring Breakers” — which starred James Franco, UF’s most recent distinguished guest speaker — Florida is the definitive Spring Break destination for college students. For those grappling with existential fears and anxieties — or more likely, for those who never had any to begin with — Florida is one of the world’s premiere destinations to throw yourself into an ocean of pills, thrills and bellyaches.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

'Radical Brownies' troop gives hope for the next generation

Feb. 24, 2015

Some believe that much of the prejudices that plague our society stem from older generations, whose “traditional” values are more often the thinly veiled discriminatory attitudes of a less tolerant time. Younger generations are so much more liberal-minded that the “activist college student” stigma is now a tired cliche. Baby Boomers sometimes paint this trend as a passing fad, a collegiate trend that fades with age and, supposedly, wisdom. This dismissive mindset is patronizing, and I find the most likely explanation in the positive correlation between a college education and social liberalism. Younger generations aren’t trendy activists; they’re educated, inclusive and tolerant. The leaders of social justice are continually getting younger, but they are no less aware or invested in the causes they champion.

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