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Monday, March 23, 2026

Opinion: Columns

Florida Alligator
Opinion

UF needs textbook rental program

The typical undergraduate student at UF spends nearly $1,000 every two semesters on textbooks. This is not earth-shattering news if you are a student. It is no surprise that textbooks are expensive, and these prices continue to soar. In fact, the Government Accountability Office estimates that over the past two decades, college textbook prices have grown at twice the rate of inflation. With recent legislation to raise tuition and narrow the scope of Bright Futures in Florida, university students and families have an even greater burden to bear. It’s evident that the last thing students need is exorbitantly priced textbooks. To help lower the cost of textbook prices, I suggest we implement a textbook rental program.


Florida Alligator
Sports

Picks Column: FSU

After last week’s great matchups, I can only hope rivalry week will give us some thrilling games like Florida’s last-second 62-3 victory over FIU, Alabama’s narrow 45-0 escape of Chattanooga or Texas’ 51-20 tough win over Kansas. This week’s slate has games with great history such as Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Florida State, Clemson-South Carolina and UCLA-USC.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Kids should not be billboards

I find it hard to believe that anyone can fight for the continuation of this fearmongering by the religious extremists going on in this city. They claim it’s “freedom of speech,” but I call it mental terrorism.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Give sincere thanks for Thanksgiving

Look, I know that it’s traditionally that time of year when I should spout off about the things I’m grateful for in my life. I get annoyed when people act like you have to be thankful for every mundane thing just because it’s the fourth Thursday in November.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Holidays create ‘Garden State moments’

For many first years, the Thanksgiving holiday is the first real opportunity in the semester to go back home. And thus, it’s often the first real opportunity to have what I call a “Garden State moment.”


Florida Alligator
Opinion

US keeps moral high ground with trials

Last week, the Alligator published contradictory views on whether trying Khalid Sheikh Muhammad in New York is the right move. Unfortunately, both pieces missed some of the most pertinent questions. Before addressing these, it must be said that I feel trying Muhammad in New York is the right decision. Don’t get me wrong, he in no way deserves the protections we are providing him.


Florida Alligator
Sports

Picks Column: FIU

We know, we know, this is one of the worst college football weeks of the year. Don’t blame us for not having anything to distract you from schoolwork. We here at the alligatorSports Brand Picks Column have done our best to predict this week’s game, but believe us, bad games aren’t any easier to project.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Cuban embargo should remain in place

It seems that there are many people out there ill-informed about the Cuban embargo. The first false assumption people make is that the U.S. initiated the embargo because Cuba became a communist country. The truth is that the U.S. enacted the embargo because when the Castro regime took power in 1959, it expropriated all of the properties of the U.S., including that of American citizens and corporations. Castro enriched his regime with the millions of dollars he stole from the U.S. and has never paid the money back.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Pray for less fortunate at Thanksgiving

While driving Oprah to her highest ratings in two years, Sarah Palin asked that we cast aside our petty sociopolitical differences and as a united country pray for the everliving soul of Levi Johnston.


Florida Alligator
Sports

Looking ahead not always bad

With Florida clinging to a 17-14 lead against South Carolina at halftime, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong knew exactly how to get his defense back on track after the worst half of football his unit has played this season.


Florida Alligator
Sports

Meyer, Spurrier not to be compared

COLUMBIA, S.C. — It has been almost five full seasons since Steve Spurrier took over as South Carolina’s coach, but as I watched his post-game press conference on the video screen at Williams-Brice Stadium, it still felt unnatural.


Florida Alligator
Opinion

Gay marriage is inevitable

Gay marriage recently suffered a devastating setback in Maine. This loss was made all the worse because it not only amended the constitution to outlaw gay marriage, it was also in a state that previously allowed it.


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