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Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Opinion | Columns

Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Add cursing to list of bad habits to quit

I was passing through Midtown last Tuesday evening, and I stopped to watch the live music at The Swamp for a song or two. “Cause it’s the first of May, first of May,” he sang, and I was thinking what a nice voice he had when suddenly – “Outdoor f--king starts today. Celebrate spring with a crazy little thing called f--king outside” – my heart started pounding as nervous anger flooded my insides. He dropped the F-bomb in his beautiful melody. As he scanned the audience, his eyes met mine. I felt uncomfortable just witnessing this performance. Maybe I was overreacting, I thought. I decided I’d try to wait it out, hoping the next song would be swear-free and worth staying for. He had a good voice. “I’m going to make this part as vulgar as possible,” he said, and I cringed. I instantly began to change my mind about staying. He said something about “f--king everybody,” and I couldn’t stand listening anymore. I left — no applause from me tonight.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Legislature defeats Crist in smackdown over oil-drilling ban

Like an episode of “Deadliest Warrior,” Florida saw its own battle between two epic foes Tuesday, this one during a special legislative session called to pass a measure that would put the question of banning oil drilling on the November ballot. In The Florida Legislature vs. Charlie Crist, I have to give this one to the Legislature, and a quick kill it was—about 55 minutes, to be exact.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Make up your own mind about politics

For the last two weeks, I have given advice for incoming UF students to use as they acclimate themselves to university life. This week, however, I write to lend a word of advice to all university students. Whatever grade, alma mater, or status as a student, listen up: Don’t drink from the punch bowl.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Waiting to drink legally was worth it

If you asked me why I waited until my 21st birthday to drink, I could tell you a number of reasons. For one, my big sister waited until her 21st, so that’s what I thought you were supposed to do. She has always been my role model. Two, I’m stubborn, and I had told people a while ago that I was waiting until my 21st birthday to drink. I had made up my mind, but they doubted me or told me I’d go wild once I arrived at college. This fueled my fire even more to keep my word. And three, it doesn’t sit well with me to think of doing anything illegal. I’m just one of those people who is paranoid of getting in trouble for no good reason. I’d get nervous when an officer would walk by me in the halls when I was in middle school—palms sweaty, heart racing, the whole deal—and I never did anything wrong. I guess you could say I’m a stickler for rules, and I’m OK with that.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Ways to excel in academics, social life

Last week, I began my list of seven important lessons for incoming UF freshmen. I mentioned the importance of living in the dorms, learning how to cook on a budget and studying with a purpose. If you missed last week's column, check out the Opinions page at alligator.org. This week, I continue with the fourth tip.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Important tips for incoming freshmen

Because entering college doesn’t come with an instruction manual like your iPad does, I thought I would impart a few quick-but-vital lessons to the newly arrived crop of UF students. Due to space limitations, I have broken this into a two-part series for this week and the next.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Government spending out of control

On Tuesday, I attended the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Candidate forum for County Commission candidates. About a hundred business owners showed up to hear the vision of the six candidates for Alachua County. One common theme prevailed: the burden on local business from all levels of government has to subside for the health of the local economy. Increased taxation was shied away from by candidates from both parties. Consistently, all the candidates said we can either be dragged down by the national economic situation, or we find ways to improve upon it.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Floridians should invest in education

Public education is the cornerstone of our nation’s economic might. When we make a true commitment to educating a future generation, we are not only producing a workforce that is better equipped to tackle the problems of today, but we are planting the seeds for the innovation of tomorrow. If we are going to prepare our children for the future, I believe Florida must change its course and make a proper investment in public education.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Smoking ban encroaches on rights

There is something very unsettling in the way modern society is beginning to parallel the fictional worlds presented by writers such as Orwell, Huxley and Rand. From the disturbing similarities between contemporary texting language and Orwell’s Newspeak to the health care battles that still continue to rage in Congress, it is undeniable that, at some point in the last 50 years, the line between fact and fiction began to blur.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Obama fumbles response to gulf spill

The recent Gulf oil spill has become more than a tragedy, and the Obama administration has more than botched the response. This crisis illuminates the administration’s lack of leadership. Unfortunately for Americans, we see a president too tangled in a web of bureaucracy, ego and inexperience to appropriately handle the situation. It was well-worded in a recent column by Mark Steyn: “He has grand plans for ‘the environment’ - all of it, wherever it may be. Why should the great eco-Gulliver be ensnared by some Lilliputian oil spill lapping ‘round his boots?”


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Conservative arguments made in Griffin’s column not true

Bryan Griffin’s article “Individual action key to conservation” seems to strongly evoke his Republican role model, Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, and his limp response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. In his piece, he manages to convey such base ideas as “Liberals bad” and “Regulation bad.” OK, so you can’t blame him for paraphrasing the GOP manifesto. But beyond the standard partisan hackery, Mr. Griffin offers several gems that are simply too precious to ignore.


Florida Alligator
OPINION  |  COLUMNS

Roadtrips can be fun, enlightening

We have all seen it on our Facebook news feeds – friends and family posting pictures of their worldly travels. For many students, classes and obligations have dwindled, and those lucky enough to find funding have taken the opportunity to explore exotic destinations.



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