Opinion: Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

Opinion

Why fictional shows like anime can be a source of inspiration in our lives

Mar. 27, 2017

I’ve always been an anime fan, and I’ve never been too keen on hiding it. That’s not to say I go around wearing metal head covers or writing names in my black journal, but if anyone asks me, I’m never shy. In fact, it hypes me up. I love talking about new anime or what will happen in the next episodes of unfinished shows. However, what I want to talk about today is not which anime I think are worth watching, but how I got into anime, and why you should, too.

Opinion

Why it's ridiculous to slash funding from the National Endowment for the Arts

Mar. 26, 2017

Let’s think about what the figure 0.00003 percent means. Imagine taking a test with 1,000 questions on it and getting three questions correct. That’s pretty awful, right? It’s bad enough you only got three questions right, but at least you got something. Now imagine you got three questions right, but then you wanted to retake it. You were hoping to get maybe four or five right this time. Nothing too crazy, but a small improvement would be nice. Instead, you get the test back to see you didn’t get any questions right. Out of 1,000, not even one. Think about this, but instead imagine you didn’t take a test at all. Imagine you are a government agency relying on funding, and you only receive 0.00003 percent of the budget. Then imagine your portion is out of your control, but you hoped maybe you could at least keep your tiny, tiny slice of the pie. Instead, you discover you’ve been eliminated completely.

Opinion

The importance of a generation of problem solvers

Mar. 26, 2017

Last Thursday, standing among more than 100 fellow students and poster boards at UF’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, I presented my research project, which aimed to understand and evaluate Common Core — the guidelines that have helped shape our current educational system. Across from me, one student explained her research on autism. Across the room, another expounded on her analysis of French literature. All throughout the vast ballroom we had populated with our projects, images of microscopic cell scans and medical illustrations bumped up against statistical analyses and comparative charts: A metaphorical handshake between the science, technology, engineering and mathematics field and the humanities came to life.

Opinion

We need to stop acting like college is the only road to success in life

Mar. 23, 2017

College is great. Where else can individuals pursue knowledge and interests while inhabiting society’s most intellectual environments? How lucky are we as a country to have so many options for higher education, as well as opportunities to make it happen? Many could argue the university is one of society’s greatest achievements, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is for everyone.

Opinion

Focus on sports detrimental to UF competitiveness

Mar. 23, 2017

Ninety-three thousand fans thunder; ESPN cameras litter the sidelines, broadcasting the game to millions more; white, blue and orange Tebow jerseys, Polos and Gator football shirts pepper the crowd like a UF seasoning.

Opinion

People in positions of power need to be held to a much higher standard

Mar. 23, 2017

As the great Hannah Montana once said, “Nobody’s perfect.” This lyrical statement rings true to college students across the nation. We use it as a justification for everything from sleeping through our early morning lecture classes to drinking a little too much at the bars. We all screw up sometimes because really, nobody is perfect.

UF defensive tackle Taven Bryan before Florida's 32-0 win against North Texas on Sept. 17, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Sports

Column: The occasional absurdity of sports journalism

By Ethan Bauer | Mar. 21, 2017

There’s a lot to like about sports journalism.

Opinion

After World Poetry Day, Alligator Staff Share Stanzas

Mar. 21, 2017

Boots

Opinion

The importance of stories and delving into fantasy, fiction

Mar. 21, 2017

I have become more aware of a family trait whenever I or my brother return home after a month or two of being away: We really enjoy reminiscing. All four of us enjoy reaching into our past experiences for a good story that makes our audience crumble with laughter. We can do this for hours. And it matters little whether the story has been told or retold, as long as it is told with enthusiasm and it entertains. There are times when we become so lost in this activity that we don’t leave the dinner table until an hour or two after we had finished eating.

Opinion

‘It was better than the soaps’: the O.J. murder case and its modern parallels

Mar. 20, 2017

The ’90s are alive and well in 2017. From the resurgence of fashion trends we once rocked as children to the ubiquity of the phrase “only ’90s kids remember,” that captivating decade continues to exert an influence on modern culture, whether we realize it or not. Countless beloved ’90s shows have been rebooted to varying degrees of success, and those that remain untouched by modern media can be revisited with the help of streaming services like Netflix.

Opinion

Who do you really judge when judging someone?

Mar. 20, 2017

My topic this week is commonly discussed, and I’m adding no more to the conversation than another anecdote, so I decided I’d give a short course of my piece to save you time if you’re uninterested: Get over yourself, and don’t judge others.

Opinion

UF's administration needs to support graduate-student parents in need

Mar. 19, 2017

You’re in your late 20s or early 30s. It’s time to get married. It’s time to have children. It’s time to build a better future for yourself and your family while contributing to society.

Opinion

Republican response to Obamacare will cost us

Mar. 19, 2017

It’s no secret the Affordable Care Act — colloquially known as Obamacare — wasn’t perfect. It succeeded in helping those who weren’t insured, because of preexisting conditions or otherwise. There is an individual mandate, which attempts to decrease the costs brought on by emergency room visits, but it didn’t address the ballooning costs of health care or the fact that the U.S. still has one of the highest numbers for health care spending per capita, according to the World Bank.

Opinion

There’s always an audience; give them something

Mar. 16, 2017

Hey there, Gators. Hey there, Baby Gators. I’m kidding, of course; the Baby Gators can’t read. Was that commentary on our shoddy American education system and its effect on our freshmen, or was that an obvious statement because the toddlers of the Baby Gator nursery most likely can’t read?

Opinion

Geography: It matters more to the creative process than one may think

Mar. 16, 2017

Oftentimes, where I work is just as important as what I am working on. I could be writing a paper on an interest of mine, but if I am in the backseat of a car racing down Interstate 95, then it doesn’t matter how much I enjoy the subject, I won’t be writing my best material. We are creatures easily influenced by our environment, more so than we like to think.

Opinion

Let me ask you this: Why are you in college?

Mar. 15, 2017

One thing I learned quickly during my first few weeks on campus last year is that hardly anybody valued or enjoyed the mandatory class “What is the Good Life?” My teaching assistant for the class acknowledged this stigma himself on our first day of class. But he also posed to us a question, one that stopped me personally in my tracks. It was a simple question: Why are you in college?

Opinion

Believing it’s ‘meant to be’ will hold you back

Mar. 14, 2017

The world we live in is chaotic. It is shaped by forces we do not always understand. A handful of powerful people exert disproportionate influence over our lives. There are things we have no ability to control.

Opinion

As Spring Break ends, reminisce and appreciate your time off. Don’t mourn.

Mar. 12, 2017

Today is every college student’s least favorite day of the year: the first day of classes after Spring Break. I completely understand. In fact, I wrote this in a car on the way back from my own fantastic trip. Today is especially irritating because we get all the frustration of returning to normal life without any of the excitement of starting fresh or being close to finishing a semester.

Opinion

Say it one more time for the people in the back

Mar. 12, 2017

Last week, Republicans offered their take on a new health care plan in order to keep their promise to “repeal and replace” the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Despite criticism from both sides of the political aisle, many Republicans in the House of Representatives zealously pushed their plan through as quickly as possible, with two House committees approving it last Thursday and votes from two more committees coming up this week.

Opinion

Our university offers a lesson in smart spending and financial transparency

Mar. 2, 2017

On the third floor of Turlington Hall, there aren’t any windows. At least none that professors and teaching assistants, huddled in their dingy, cramped offices can see. The walls are gray, or might as well be, and its narrow corridors taste of stale air. It’s cold.