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Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Opinion: Columns

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Writing can give you the power to be anything and do anything

Aug. 24, 2017

On Aug. 7 my little brother and I had to trek across London from one airport to another, accompanied by two large suitcases, phones that did not work outside of the country and the exhaustion of a day of traveling. Due to general miscommunication, we were separated from the rest of our family, whose flights were out of Heathrow Airport the next day. Ours was out of Gatwick Airport (which has no direct Tube line, mind you).

Florida Alligator
Opinion

College is hard — good friends make it easier

Aug. 20, 2017

I don’t mean to get sappy or sentimental right off the bat, but today marks the first day of my last year of college, so maybe I can’t help it. Although it may sound cliche, I realize with each new semester how much, however slight, I’ve changed from the last, and I try to recognize what I want to do differently each time around. Indeed, senior year seems to lend that idea even more gravity.

UF coach Jim McElwain watches on during UF's Orange and Blue Debut on April 7, 2017, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Sports

Column: Think you know who the Gators’ starting QB should be? Think again.

By Ethan Bauer | Aug. 20, 2017

Anyone who listens to Jim McElwain answer one question knows he is not a straightforward man. He rambles. He swerves. He changes topics like a figure skater changing direction. For example, here’s what he said when asked about how challenging the team’s quarterback competition must be given that two weeks from the team’s season opener, it’s still a three-man race:

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Time is all we really have

Aug. 2, 2017

In our current era, there are many who emphasize the mantra “work hard, play hard.” An idea that has now become so popular that it has produced multiple renditions, has become a meme, has its own song, has books with the same idea and has people talking about the concept day in and day out. The discussion even sparks a conversation from more serious people that working too hard and focusing too much on the “grind” is not a healthy habit for success.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Just another Wasserman Schultz Scandal

July 31, 2017

Last Monday, Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s congressional information technology staffer, Imran Awan, was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport by FBI agents before fleeing the U.S. for Pakistan. While Awan was accused of bank fraud for $283,000, a serious felony offense, it may be the least serious crime he has committed.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Assassination is no joke

July 26, 2017

Recently, a few notable actors and comedians have brought it upon themselves to joke about assassinating President Donald Trump. Generally, these jokes are condemned across the spectrum as, even though politics may be a bit more volatile than it should be, most believe no one should die. Notable people who have recently committed themselves to these jokes are Johnny Depp, with his John Wilkes Booth allusion, and Kathy Griffin, with the picture of her holding up a fake severed head of Trump.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

We need to appreciate artists before their death (a tribute to Chester Bennington)

July 24, 2017

This week was a sad one for angsty millennials everywhere. (Well, honestly most weeks are sad for angsty millennials these days, but I digress.) This week, Chester Bennington killed himself. With the death of this musician, most famous for being the lead vocalist of Linkin Park and also being a member of Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots, the toll of musicians gone before their time rises. Bennington joins the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and more. Not all of these musicians chose to end their lives, but some did. Arguably, many musicians gone before their time were more appreciated, admired and loved after they died than they ever were before. Their popularity, their fan base and their influence grew.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

Do progressives really want a President Pence?

July 24, 2017

Do progressives really want a President Pence?  Their immediate answer may be: “yes, impeach President Donald Trump no matter what,” but if progressives considered what was best for their agenda, they would recognize how relatively great the Trump presidency has been thus far.  

Florida Alligator
Opinion

My musings on the hypocrisy of the history of abolitionism

July 19, 2017

This week, I’d like to talk about a few historical observations I’ve noticed in one of my classes this semester. Usually, I try not to have quasi-pointless and redundant sentences like the one preceding this, but it’s the only way I can think of to introduce such a notorious topic. What I’m going to be talking about will concern slavery in U.S.

Florida Alligator
Opinion

America needs limited government involvement

July 17, 2017

Health care and education are two of the most highly debated policy areas today. President Donald Trump has advocated to diminish the level of government involvement in both areas, which are currently at the highest they have ever been in U.S. history. Based on historical trends and empirical and theoretical evidence, increased government involvement in any area where it is not absolutely necessary has served only to decrease the value created by institutions. Arguments that favor greater government control and regulation run counter to objective facts.

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