Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

We have constructed a culture of “L’s”

Nov. 14, 2017

I’m prone to losing. Just this week, I walked right into a table in Midtown, which left me with a fist-sized bruise on my hip and a drink spilled all over me. I also accidentally texted a screenshot of a conversation to the person I was having that conversation with. I started uncontrollably crying at a Bon Iver concert and, like all of you, watched the Gators lose.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Reframing the race conversation

Nov. 14, 2017

I don’t think the only problem with Richard Spencer is that he is a white supremacist. The problem with Spencer is that he provides a bogus answer to a legitimate and enigmatic question academia has left unexplored: What does it mean to be white in 21st century America?

OPINION | COLUMNS

In search of an understanding of prejudice

Nov. 12, 2017

Last Wednesday, I was at my usual weekly Undergraduate Philosophy Society meeting (shameless plug, check us out on Facebook). That evening, the discussion centered around how we should attempt to understand bullying and how to prevent kids from doing it. Quickly, the group of us recognized the ways in which bullying mirrors — and frequently reflects — different phobias and other bad “-isms” like homophobia, racism, sexism and transphobia.

OPINION | COLUMNS

A call to end the all-too-prevalent gaslighting culture in the US

Nov. 12, 2017

You may have heard of the term gaslighting. It can happen between supposed friends, between an employee and their superior or in any other relationship. Whether within our own student organizations or on a national scale, it happens every day.

OPINION | COLUMNS

When yes means no: Blackouts and sexual assault

Nov. 12, 2017

Jamie (which is not the real name of the victim) woke up on the floor next to a couch she didn’t recognize. The party was a few hours old.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Take it from me, just wear the helmet

Nov. 7, 2017

It’s been more than a week since a car hit my scooter while I was driving, but I can’t stop replaying the moment in my head. I can still hear the car’s brakes screeching futily. I can still feel the road scraping my hands and my back as I tried to catch myself. I remember looking at one of my best friends, who was riding on the back, with tears and shock in both of our eyes. Gasoline was spewing from the scooter — which my helmet was resting safely inside of.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s OK if you’re not ready to get married in your early 20s

Nov. 7, 2017

I don’t know if it’s because the holidays are coming up, or if there’s something in the air, but a large portion of my friends have recently gotten engaged. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s fantastic. Really. I am so happy they found and picked the person they want to be with for the rest of their lives. But at the same time, it has left a lot of my single friends feeling like they don’t have their lives together.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Diversity for the sake of diversity has hit a damaging extreme in the U.S.

Nov. 7, 2017

Last week I was applying to an internship at a well-known financial institution when I came across a bizarre portion of the application. Titled “self-identification,” I was asked a series of questions that you’d typically expect on a job application. There was nothing abnormal about the self-identification section until I reached the very bottom of the page where, in my opinion, I was asked an extremely invasive and inappropriate question: “Please indicate your sexual orientation.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

The need (and struggle) to make time for yourself

Nov. 5, 2017

A quick note before we begin: I am by no means a professional in self-help practices nor do I consider myself an expert in mindfulness. Heck, I’m writing this column during my “me time” in between doing my laundry, mentally organizing tomorrow’s agenda and trying to remember the date of my next exam. That aside, I’m going to write this as a message to myself — and anyone else who might need this reminder — about the importance of carving out space and time for oneself each week.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Creating a better world starts with a culture of caring

Nov. 5, 2017

When was the last time you asked someone how they were doing and really meant it?

OPINION | COLUMNS

Circumstance and decision: We can only change the future

Nov. 5, 2017

Our lives are based around two things: circumstance and decisions. Circumstance is everything you can’t control. This is your privilege or your lack thereof. This is the stuff that just happens to you. Were you in the right place at the right time? Circumstance. Then, the rest of your life is made up of decisions. This is everything you actively do. Did you work really hard or not hard enough? Did you take that risk or let it slip through your fingers? These are both decisions.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Your purpose in life will constantly change, summarizing it isn't easy

Nov. 2, 2017

I am supposed to write about my purpose. That is an odd task, at least in my opinion, to reduce my purpose to one or two single-spaced pages. This implies a multitude of things: one, that I do have a purpose and, two, my purpose is applicable to the exact program and exact situation so I could sum it all up in one or two single-spaced pages.

OPINION | COLUMNS

UF to Greek women: Don’t get assaulted

Nov. 2, 2017

"In that situation, I did everything right.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Journalism is struggling, it’s time to help

Oct. 31, 2017

I see you clearing your cookies on your computer to get 10 more free articles for the Sun Sentinel or The Washington Post without having to pay their monthly subscription, and for a while I was like you. I get it, you don’t have the money to pay $5 a month for news, so you cheat the system. It makes sense, but you’re hurting the very institution that you count on for reliable news, and it’s time we started supporting newspapers. They need us.

OPINION | COLUMNS

It’s time to take a stand against the statue vandals

Oct. 31, 2017

Over the past several months, Americans across the country have taken it upon themselves to destroy, deface and rewrite American history with the removal of historical statues and monuments. Virtually unchallenged, this small segment of the public has attempted to bully fair-minded citizens into accepting a new American reality: one without our Founding Fathers.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Mental health needs to be a top priority for colleges

Oct. 31, 2017

Counseling and mental health services are a top priority at UF and need to be part of continued conversations nationally within higher education and beyond.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We have power across generations

Oct. 29, 2017

Over the past few days, I have seen multiple articles detailing the lives of middle school students who chose to end their lives by killing themselves. Suicide is always tragic. Suicide should always draw our attention and ignite a desire for action and change. When those who choose to end their lives are not even teenagers yet, it can capture our attention in a particularly intense way.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Speak out against unjust organizations

Oct. 29, 2017

“If you see something, say something.” This slogan can apply to suspicious activity monitored by the Department of Homeland Security, but it should also apply to our everyday interactions.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Keep it local and support Gainesville businesses

Oct. 29, 2017

Last week, I went to a show at High Dive featuring two Florida-native bands: The Hails and Surfer Blood. This was not my first High Dive show, nor will it be my last. Not only is it a blast to hear great live music, but it’s also awesome to give your love and support to local businesses, especially the art and culture hubs around Gainesville.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Can we please stop hanging out in the library for fun?

Oct. 26, 2017

Earlier this week, I was studying. I was in the library, where most people are when they study, and I found a perfect little table in the basement of Marston Science Library. It was nearing hour three of my study venture, and I was making decent progress. I brought snacks to tide me over and filled my water bottle. I had an arsenal of colored pens, my notebook, my hard copy of the textbook at my disposal. Last but not least, I had the most important part of any study session — my ear buds.