OPINION
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COLUMNS
UF Student Government is corrupt, opaque and ineffective. What do we do?
By Ronin Lupien | 2:16pmThe current problem
Opinion | Columns
OPINION
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COLUMNS
What’s happening with RTS? From the UF student body president-elect
By John Brinkman | Apr. 16In the past week, there’s been a lot of conversation around RTS buses and what funding they will have in the future. As someone who was first made aware there was an issue between the City of Gainesville and UF when this was made public April 9, I’ve been learning as much as I can before I officially take office April 24 to have better and more nuanced conversations. Let’s talk about what’s been happening, and what the future will look like relating to RTS:
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Uncovering my generation’s silent addiction
By Sabrina Castro | Apr. 15One of the most prominent addictions among my generation these days isn’t one of the things my parents warned me about becoming addicted to before coming to college: drugs, alcohol or sex. It is something normalized by friends and peers at all hours of the day, in public, during class and on holidays.
OPINION
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Imposter syndrome: Why we never feel enough
By Morgan Vanderlaan | Apr. 15“I do not deserve this.”
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Better pedestrian planning means safer students
By Amaya Borroto | Apr. 8If you’ve never been in a car accident before, I’m sorry to report, you’re in the minority. A vanishing minority as Florida has earned a top spot among the most dangerous states for pedestrians. I recently had the misfortune of colliding with a city bus on my morning commute to class. The experience taught me far more than to look both ways before crossing the street, though it was a grim reminder.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
It isn’t just what you learn: The value of experience for STEM
By Ronin Lupien | Apr. 8Recently, fellow columnist Sabrina Castro wrote about the value of involvement culture. With nearly 1,000 registered student organizations and many informal organizations, involvement forms a key aspect of the college experience. While what you learn is important, what you experience will be essential to the rest of your life. This is especially the case for STEM.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Vote for Debbie, save my healthcare
By Ashley Mason | Apr. 1The fight for Florida’s United States Senate seat is not just a political race; its outcome is deeply personal to me. This past summer, my mom faced a health scare marked with uncertainty, all while navigating a healthcare system rife with economic barriers. Like millions of Floridians, the Affordable Care Act saved us from crippling medical bills.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
A refresher on Trump’s legal battles
By Reed Jeffries | Apr. 1As the political landscape heats up for November’s rematch, the specter of former President Donald Trump’s legal battles looms large.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
A reflection on UF’s construction closures, accessibility
By Ronin Lupien | Apr. 1Since my freshman year, there has been at least one large and obstructive campus construction project. I remember a time when most of Museum Road was closed off. Now, with only a few weeks before my graduation, I find myself boxed in with few good sources of information to learn more.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Justice denied: Anti-democratic practices of the SG Supreme Court
By Ronin Lupien | Mar. 27The UF Supreme Court is a little-known part of Student Government. The adage goes: justice delayed is justice denied. The Supreme Court is insistent on delaying justice.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Your vote DOES matter: The importance of voting in local elections
By Morgan Vanderlaan | Mar. 25Walking through Turlington Plaza, in between the chaos of students scrambling to arrive to class on time, you will undoubtedly be asked to sign a petition, join a political movement, or maybe even register to vote. To the average student, the nuisance of being approached despite wearing headphones outweighs the merit of exercising one’s civil duties, as there is a growing sense of voter apathy amongst younger generations.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
My love letter to involvement culture at UF
By Sabrina Castro | Mar. 25As I prepare to finish my junior year, the involvement culture surrounding the student body isn’t just a freshman year fad. Before I could even realize it, these questions have quickly become, “What organizations have you been accepted to?” or even worse, “Have you received any internship offers?”
OPINION
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COLUMNS
Message from an alumnus: Get off the sidelines and restore DEI
By Mark Shmueli | Mar. 18As a high school graduate from New England, I knew little about UF and had never been to Gainesville before I applied. After arriving as a freshman in 1984, I quickly became immersed in the culture of the school, served in Student Government and was one of the many founders of SCAAR, the Student Coalition Against Apartheid and Racism. Florida was still under the radar, but to me it was a hidden gem in large part because of its myriad of cultures.
OPINION
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COLUMNS
The rematch we were given
By Andrew Taramykin | Mar. 18On March 19, voters in the Republican Party of Florida will head to the polls to vote in the state’s presidential preference primary election, although the contest is purely a formality. Former President Donald Trump (fitting that the first president associated with Florida is actually just a snowbird, right?) has already secured enough delegates to win the GOP nomination.
OPINION
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What UF tells us about America
By Andrew Taramykin | Mar. 5I am confident the overwhelming majority of our faculty and staff hold this position, and absolutely positive that our students do. While the provost’s promises of maintaining trust and respect may seem disingenuous in this context, I believe most Gators remain steadfast in our commitment to a more equitable university, community, and world.
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Federal funding saves lives in Gainesville
By Harvey Ward | Mar. 4Over the course of the past few weeks, it became obvious to anyone paying attention that the national crisis in chronic homelessness was manifesting itself in a couple of new tent camps, including one downtown on SE Fourth Place — literally on the street itself. As mayor, I knew my colleagues on the Gainesville City Commission and I had to act, but I also knew we were fiscally restrained, in the middle of an unusually challenging budget year.
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The uncertain future of the University Multicultural Mentorship Program
By Ronin Lupien | Mar. 4Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are on the chopping block at UF and every other state institution of higher learning. Just recently, the administration shut down the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, amongst other DEI positions. In response to The Alligator breaking this story, Gov. Ron DeSantis quote reposted its coverage to further classify DEI as “toxic.”
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Statement on the elimination of DEI at UF
By Saketh Damera , Laura Thomas and John Brinkman | Mar. 1We, the student body officer-elects of UF, are writing with concern and disappointment regarding the recent decision to close the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer and to eliminate various diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions and appointments.
OPINION
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Book banning is politics, not protection
By Amanda Lacy | Feb. 29The dreaded inevitable has finally happened. We have an ever-growing list of book challenges at Eastside High School. School libraries — bastions of diversity, enrichment, inclusion and democracy — are under attack. There’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. I have no words to magically shift the momentum of this legislation. Still, I can no longer remain silent.
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The fight for representation: Why change Is needed now more than ever
Feb. 26There’s always more work to be done. This underlying belief has guided Change Party to serve the student body for eight semesters. This thought empowers us to author 200 bills when we are the minority in the Senate chamber. This is our conviction as we strive to put the power back into the hands of all students this election.
