Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

Rain is far more than a hardship for the homeless

By Stephan Chamberlin | July 25, 2018

The drone of rain on the car roof is almost deafening. It comes through to the inside like loud TV static. If you peer out the window at the mute downtown scene, between the droplets, you can see that white water pours off storefront awnings like an avalanche. On the flooded sidewalk, huddled in a shallow doorway, a faceless man’s fingers hold a cardboard shield in defense against the damp. The problem of homelessness is never so striking as it is in a rainstorm. An increased supply of short-term shelter is a more immediate solution to this problem which statistics fail to capture.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Clear eyes, empty chairs, students lose: how we lost out 24/7 Library West (part 3)

By Zachariah Chou | July 25, 2018

It started out innocently enough. “24/7 Study Space Survey” says the subject line for the email that flies into my inbox from former Monroe County Detention Center inmate/Student Body President Smith Meyers. “Your responses to the attached 5-minute survey will be invaluable as we prioritize support for the overnight study spaces needed for your academic success.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

I’m a 20-year-old geriatric

By Sophie Feinberg | July 23, 2018

I’ve had dozens of doctor’s appointments this summer.My medical chart classifies me as someone with high-risk medication usage.The people at my pharmacy know my name.I have more than five diagnoses, and they keep coming.I appear out of place in specialists’ waiting rooms and in society.Expectations for my peer group don’t align with the lifestyle I live or want to live.When I’m not in class, doing extracurricular assignments or studying, I’m at the doctor or recuperating with heat pads and ice packs in bed. I’ve never been out to Midtown or even a football game yet because I’m scared about my health and accommodations. An outing can cost me a semester if I’m not careful. Pushing myself doesn’t make me better. It can leave me in the hospital. But I keep doing it anyway because I want to be with friends, gain experience in my major and be a part of the UF community.It’s hard to balance society’s expectations with how I live. What is even harder is how I balance my own expectations and goals with where I’m at. I’m constantly at odds. Even in doctor’s offices, I’m misunderstood. I’m accused of lying or am not taken seriously. “You’re too young to have these problems,” isn’t an uncommon message from doctors. No kidding.Wishing or wondering won’t make my circumstances change. Pushing onward has a silver lining. I’m learning to find my voice, be an advocate and reason with professionals. It’s given me a different kind of strength amid my physical weakness. I hate pity. I just want understanding, especially in health care. If there’s anything my life has shown me, it’s that there is a health care gap. There’s specialized care for older patients but not for young ones with similar issues. That’s a problem.Worse than feeling alone and in pain is going to get help and being refused or unheard.This is a widespread problem. I’ve had to wait months for a diagnosis. I’m still waiting for solutions to other problems. That could take years. Worse than fighting to live “normally” is fighting to be heard and waiting, feeling sick and knowing something is off but jumping from doctor to doctor until someone finally listens. Then it’s waiting for test results. Then it’s becoming your own doctor. It’s turning to Google and scanning medical research and asking for, or demanding, tests. It’s researching at-home treatments.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Drop the act: You don’t work at work

By Stephan Chamberlin | July 23, 2018

You have been staring blankly at your computer screen for about an hour. You have made coffee, gone to the bathroom, tried to study, but it just isn’t happening. Maybe you checked social media once or twice. Sound familiar? That’s normal human behavior, and the lack of productivity for most of the day is surprisingly common. If you feel like you often spend too much time doing too little work, idling or just wondering how to get started, pick your most productive hours to work. One thing is for certain, you won’t be productive for a majority of the day if you don’t plan out your day carefully.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Kylie Jenner has something in common with Trump

By Layla Soboh | July 23, 2018

What do Kylie Jenner and President Donald Trump have in common? It’s not just the fact that they both get spray tans, they both were born into wealth and expanded that wealth into billions, and they both are part of the most powerful families in the country. Jenner is a part of the Kardashian clan who seem to turn everything they touch into gold. Trump was born into a wealthy real estate developer and profited by literally putting the family name on stuff in gold.

OPINION | COLUMNS

FSU’s removal of a statue of a slave-owner is progressive

By Layla Soboh | July 18, 2018

Florida State University President John Thrasher announced this week that the university will be removing a controversial statue of one of its founders, Francis W. Eppes.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Prep before you speak

By Stephan Chamberlin | July 18, 2018

Picture this: a lit stage, a buzzing crowd sat in darkness. You’re dressed in some fancy attire and are about to speak in front of a large audience. All eyes are about to be on you. You start to get nerves about your nerves. Is being nervous normal? Is it okay for your knees to be weak, your palms to be sweaty and there to be vomit on your sweater already? Yes. The best way to get over nerves is to rehearse, and when you think you’ve practiced enough, double down.

OPINION | COLUMNS

By taking care of the environment, you take care of the future

By Sophie Feinberg | July 18, 2018

UF’s campus is full of nature and, with it, sustainability efforts to protect it.There’s the Office of Sustainability, protected natural areas and extensive major and minor studies and classes concerning environmental issues or topics like sustainability, wildlife, agriculture, reporting and more.The signature live oak trees stand alongside Albert and Alberta, Century Tower, Gothic-style brick buildings and more as key elements that make UF’s campus.These trees that are perfect for hammocking can often be under-appreciated or taken for granted.Almost a year ago when hurricanes struck Gainesville, the historic tree in front the New Physics Building met its end. Riding past it on my 120 bus route down Museum Road, I noticed its missing place.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Who bears the costs? How we lost our 24/7 Library

By Zachariah Chou | July 18, 2018

It started out innocently enough. Overnight hours for libraries had been a hot topic for several years in Student Government-land before becoming a reality during the 2012-13 fiscal year. Keep this in mind: SG was the entity that started funding overnight library hours (this will become more important later on).

OPINION | COLUMNS

I'm a loud woman, and I refuse to shut up

By Layla Soboh | July 16, 2018

I’m a loud woman, and I refuse to shut up.

OPINION | COLUMNS

An open letter from SG President Ian Green

By Ian Green | July 16, 2018

Hey Gator Nation,

OPINION | COLUMNS

Consequences of clutter

By Sophie Feinberg | July 16, 2018

Health is more than emotional or physical ailments. It can also be the health of a physical environment, such as your dorm room or apartment. Plus, what’s in this environment can have a real effect on how you feel. Your brain can feel cluttered.

OPINION | COLUMNS

State schools are a smart move

By Stephan Chamberlin | July 11, 2018

Ever wonder whether you might have been happier at Harvard University? A lot of students think they settled by going to a state school. Some believe the only way to reach the upper echelon of American society is to shoot for an Ivy League school, network like mad and rub elbows with the “elite.” From what I’ve seen of UF and what I’ve seen of the Ivy League, to UF students I say: You made the wise financial choice. First, Ivies are not all equally forgiving to low-income students. Second, state schools do more for the American dream.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Delays, doctors and doing good

By Sophie Feinberg | July 11, 2018

On Wednesday, I came across a viral tweet from a Twitter user in the United Kingdom named James Gleave.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Listening to criticism isn’t a bad thing

By Layla Soboh | July 11, 2018

Sometimes the events of my week seem to have a common theme. This week, the theme is receiving criticism from strangers and trying to figure out what to do about it. I’ve always been told to disregard bullying and ignore negative comments. But what if this is another one of those faulty things we were all told as millennial children? It feeds into our belief that we’re good at everything and anyone who says otherwise has the issue. Manners and politeness are virtues to be upheld, but did all the participation trophies make our skin too thin?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Enduring mysteries and little transparency: How we lost our 24/7 Library West (Part 1)

By Zachariah Chou | July 11, 2018

It started out innocently enough. Built in 1910, Newell Hall is the third oldest building on campus and, by virtue of its age, was vacant for the better part of the current century due to not meeting modern building standards.

OPINION | COLUMNS

The cereal industry Trix kids

By Stephan Chamberlin | July 9, 2018

Walking down the breakfast aisle of the grocery store, a rainbow of boxes scrolls past. Mascots like Tony the Tiger and Lucky the Leprechaun jump out from each rectangle. The obvious conclusion is that a lot of these cereals are aimed at kids. Turn those boxes over, and you’ll find most of them are high in sugar, and, for some, extremely high. Improving public health isn’t a simple topic, but one common sense move is obvious: We should stop marketing sugary cereals to children.

OPINION | COLUMNS

How to quit sucking: the problem with plastic straws

By Layla Soboh | July 9, 2018

Americans have recently discovered the harm of plastic straws to the environment and the animals that inhabit it. Overnight, it seems that many young people have begun urging each other to stop using the thin drinking tubes. When I first heard about this movement, I didn’t understand why straws were any worse than other plastic pollution. I figured all plastic was bad. Why are we singling out straws? This week I set out to find the reason so many environmentalists were warning us about these seemingly innocent tools.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Don't settle

By Sophie Feinberg | July 9, 2018

Don’t settle for a situation that only hurts.

OPINION | COLUMNS

If you can't be a vegan, be a vegan ally

By Layla Soboh | July 4, 2018

I have recently come across a community of people who have a unique view about diets and veganism. These people believe that consuming a more plant-based diet is beneficial to the environment and our bodies, but they are open to making exceptions in times of inconvenience.