Opinion | Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

OPINION | COLUMNS

It's time to realize that AI domination may be imminent

Sep. 7, 2017

Man created computers, but could computers be what ultimately brings mankind’s demise? With the advent of artificial intelligence in the last couple decades, computers have not only developed a mind of their own, but have become better at many of the things humans try to do. It is the classic tale of the apprentice rising up and turning on his master, and I fear we are quickly approaching the iconic moment in every film that has this sequence: the fleeting moment of stillness when the master realizes his fate and that his end will come from the exact thing he created.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Just remember: The newspapers you call fake are run by actual people

Sep. 5, 2017

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last week or so, you’ve probably read coverage on Hurricane Harvey.

OPINION | COLUMNS

President Trump right to end DACA

Sep. 5, 2017

Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced his decision to end DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the controversial Obama-era executive order that allowed illegal immigrants who were brought here as children to remain in the U.S. and receive work permits. The fact is, DACA was the epitome of our nation’s foolish immigration policies, and President Trump was right to put a stop to it.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Time management is a skill college students need

Sep. 5, 2017

It’s not uncommon to feel like you have a million things to do but not enough hours in the day to get them done.

OPINION | COLUMNS

In the stories of the past, we can find parallels with our own lives

Aug. 31, 2017

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit some of the most unique cities America has to offer. From New York to San Francisco, Savannah to Berkeley, the more culturally rich and fascinating cities of the country tend to also be home to some of the best bookstores on Earth. Comfortably nestled somewhere in the beating heart of a city, often miles away from the nearest Barnes & Noble or Target, the independent bookstore thrives.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Already trashing Taylor Swift’s new music video? Take another look at the ending scene

Aug. 31, 2017

As I start to type this, I can already envision your eyes rolling at the headline. Nonetheless, please hear me out. Trust me, I do know that anything said in Taylor Swift’s favor is shot down pretty fast, and I know there are a million reasons as to why, but this is important.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Being multiracial should not be dependent solely on how you look

Aug. 31, 2017

In an interview with Playboy, singer-songwriter Halsey recently opened up about the struggles of identifying with her black culture while being white-passing. Depending on what form of social media I saw this article, I either saw people supporting her — often those of multiple ethnicities who felt a struggle to connect with their cultures — or people telling her to grow up and just get used to the fact that she’s “white.”

OPINION | COLUMNS

Morality can’t be the new chivalry

Aug. 31, 2017

A Twitter search of the hashtag “goals” revealed to me a serious cultural problem. It led me to this tweet: “Today at Chipotle a girl asked her boyfriend if she could get chips with their meal and he replied, ‘It's your world babe I'm just living in it.’” It was followed by a few blank lines so that readers could soak it in before the Twitter user wrote, “Ok need.” It got 85,000 retweets.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Greek life is for some people but if it’s not for you, that’s OK

Aug. 27, 2017

With the beginning of another school year comes something that is a mystery to most and dreaded by many: fraternity and sorority recruitment. As of last Wednesday, sorority recruitment at UF has come to a close. For many women on campus, the last week has been filled with makeup, dresses, heels, small talk and long hours. Girls from all over the country — and world — come to UF to visit each sorority house and find their homes and future sisterhoods through a process that could accurately be described as grueling and rather unpleasant.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to start shopping with a purpose

Aug. 24, 2017

Welcome back to the swamp, Gators! I hope everyone has been having a fabulous summer, after all, I already know all the Florida residents have been having a warm one. However, now that we are all back in action and ready to go, it's time to get serious. Let's talk about the planet, and how to make it better.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Writing can give you the power to be anything and do anything

Aug. 24, 2017

On Aug. 7 my little brother and I had to trek across London from one airport to another, accompanied by two large suitcases, phones that did not work outside of the country and the exhaustion of a day of traveling. Due to general miscommunication, we were separated from the rest of our family, whose flights were out of Heathrow Airport the next day. Ours was out of Gatwick Airport (which has no direct Tube line, mind you).

OPINION | COLUMNS

Could a dog be the cure to all your problems? Why not adopt?

Aug. 22, 2017

Somewhere in the midst of my junior year at UF, I decided to adopt a dog on a whim (this part of the story I don’t recommend).

OPINION | COLUMNS

College is hard — good friends make it easier

Aug. 20, 2017

I don’t mean to get sappy or sentimental right off the bat, but today marks the first day of my last year of college, so maybe I can’t help it. Although it may sound cliche, I realize with each new semester how much, however slight, I’ve changed from the last, and I try to recognize what I want to do differently each time around. Indeed, senior year seems to lend that idea even more gravity.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Time is all we really have

Aug. 2, 2017

In our current era, there are many who emphasize the mantra “work hard, play hard.” An idea that has now become so popular that it has produced multiple renditions, has become a meme, has its own song, has books with the same idea and has people talking about the concept day in and day out. The discussion even sparks a conversation from more serious people that working too hard and focusing too much on the “grind” is not a healthy habit for success.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Just another Wasserman Schultz Scandal

July 31, 2017

Last Monday, Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s congressional information technology staffer, Imran Awan, was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport by FBI agents before fleeing the U.S. for Pakistan. While Awan was accused of bank fraud for $283,000, a serious felony offense, it may be the least serious crime he has committed.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Assassination is no joke

July 26, 2017

Recently, a few notable actors and comedians have brought it upon themselves to joke about assassinating President Donald Trump. Generally, these jokes are condemned across the spectrum as, even though politics may be a bit more volatile than it should be, most believe no one should die. Notable people who have recently committed themselves to these jokes are Johnny Depp, with his John Wilkes Booth allusion, and Kathy Griffin, with the picture of her holding up a fake severed head of Trump.

OPINION | COLUMNS

Do progressives really want a President Pence?

July 24, 2017

Do progressives really want a President Pence? Their immediate answer may be: “yes, impeach President Donald Trump no matter what,” but if progressives considered what was best for their agenda, they would recognize how relatively great the Trump presidency has been thus far.

OPINION | COLUMNS

We need to appreciate artists before their death (a tribute to Chester Bennington)

July 24, 2017

This week was a sad one for angsty millennials everywhere. (Well, honestly most weeks are sad for angsty millennials these days, but I digress.) This week, Chester Bennington killed himself. With the death of this musician, most famous for being the lead vocalist of Linkin Park and also being a member of Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots, the toll of musicians gone before their time rises. Bennington joins the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and more. Not all of these musicians chose to end their lives, but some did. Arguably, many musicians gone before their time were more appreciated, admired and loved after they died than they ever were before. Their popularity, their fan base and their influence grew.

OPINION | COLUMNS

My musings on the hypocrisy of the history of abolitionism

July 19, 2017

This week, I’d like to talk about a few historical observations I’ve noticed in one of my classes this semester. Usually, I try not to have quasi-pointless and redundant sentences like the one preceding this, but it’s the only way I can think of to introduce such a notorious topic. What I’m going to be talking about will concern slavery in U.S.

OPINION | COLUMNS

America needs limited government involvement

July 17, 2017

Health care and education are two of the most highly debated policy areas today. President Donald Trump has advocated to diminish the level of government involvement in both areas, which are currently at the highest they have ever been in U.S. history. Based on historical trends and empirical and theoretical evidence, increased government involvement in any area where it is not absolutely necessary has served only to decrease the value created by institutions. Arguments that favor greater government control and regulation run counter to objective facts.